When Japanese tech publication PC Watch got under the hood (lid) of a Core i7-6700K quad-core processor, what they found was an unexpectedly small silicon, that's shorter in proportion to its width, than previous dies from Intel, such as Haswell-D, and Ivy Bridge-D. It's smaller than even the i7-5775C, despite the same 14 nm process, because of its slimmer integrated graphics core with just 24 execution units (compared to 48 on the i7-5775C), and the lack of an external 128 MB SRAM cache for the iGPU.

The substrate Intel is using on the i7-6700K was found to be slimmer than the one on the i7-4770K, at 0.8 mm thick, compared to 1.1 mm on the latter. The thicker IHS (integrated heatspreader) makes up for the thinner substrate, so it shouldn't cause problems with using your older LGA1150 coolers on the new socket. Intel is using a rather viscous silver-based TIM between the die and the IHS. The die is closer to the center of the IHS than its predecessors were. PC Watch swapped out the stock TIM with Prolimatech PK-3 and Cool Laboratory Liquid Pro, and found some impressive drops in temperatures at stock speed (4.00 GHz) and with a mild overclock (4.60 GHz).

GIGABYTE unveiled its first BRIX mini-PC that's powered by Intel Celeron N3000 "Braswell" SoC. The 14 nm chip embeds a dual-core CPU based on the "Airmont" micro-architecture, clocked at 1.04 GHz, with a Turbo Boost frequency of 2.08 GHz; and featuring HyperThreading. Also embedded are 1 MB of cache, an 8th generation Intel IGP with 12 execution units, and a dual-channel DDR3L-1600 IMC.

The BRIX measures 56.1 mm x 107.6 mm x 114.4 mm, and is a barebones unit, you'll have to add your own memory and storage. Despite the chip's dual-channel memory interface, BRIX only offers one DDR3L SO-DIMM slot (max 8 GB). Storage connectivity includes an M.2 slot with both PCIe 2.0 x2 and SATA 6 Gb/s wiring, and a 9 mm thick 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gb/s. A micro-SD slot is also offered. Network connectivity includes gigabit Ethernet. Display outputs include HDMI and D-Sub. 2-channel HD audio, and four USB 3.0 ports make for the rest of it.

Intel announced its first 6th generation Core processors, codenamed "Skylake." Built on Intel's swanky new 14 nanometer silicon fab process, and in the new LGA1151 package, these processors bring DDR4 memory to the mainstream, and offer IPC improvements over the previous-generation Core "Haswell" and "Broadwell" processors. Making its debut at Gamescom, Intel is starting its lineup off with two chips that are predominantly targeted at the DIY gaming PC crowd, the Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K quad-core processors. More models in the series will be launched towards the end of this month. The company also announced the Z170 Express chipset.

The Core i7-6700K features a nominal clock speed of 4.00 GHz, with a Turbo Boost frequency of 4.20 GHz. It features 8 MB of L3 cache, and HyperThreading. Its integrated Intel HD 530 graphics ticks at 350 MHz, with 1200 MHz Boost. The Core i5-6600K, on the other hand, features clock speeds of 3.50 GHz, with 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost. It features 6 MB of L3 cache, and lacks HyperThreading. It features the same integrated graphics solution as its bigger sibling. The TDP of both chips are rated at 91W. Both chips feature integrated memory controllers with support for DDR3L-1600 and DDR4-2133. The Core i7-6700K is priced around $350, and the i5-6600K around $243, in 1000-unit tray quantities. The retail packages of both chips will lack a stock cooling solution. The LGA1151 cooler mount will be identical to that of the outgoing LGA1150, so you shouldn't have any problems using your older cooler.

Apple is readying a new generation of iMac desktops, which it plans to launch in Q3-2015, likely at its September press event. The new Macs are expected to come with faster processors (likely Intel "Skylake,") faster DDR4 memory, and an increase in display resolutions across the board, including a 21.5-inch model with 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution, besides its 27-inch 5K (5120 x 2880 pixels) model. The display panels in these macs will feature a new LED phosphor material called KSF (K2SiF6:Mn), which improves color saturation. The displays will offer 30-bit (10 bpc) color depth, with the ability to produce 1.07 billion colors.

The retail packaging of Intel's 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors in the LGA1151 package, will be surprisingly colorful, and a throwback to the pre-Pentium 4 era, according to spy-shots of the retail boxes of the upcoming Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K. What's even more surprising, is that packages of the i7-6700K and i5-6600K, which feature unlocked base-clock multipliers, making them primed for overclocking, do not include stock cooling solutions. Their retail packages resemble those of Intel's Core i7 HEDT processors. In the box, you'll find just the processor, its case-badge, and basic documentation.

Both the Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K feature the same integrated graphics SKU - HD Graphics 530. Both feature integrated memory controllers that support both DDR3L and DDR4 memory types. The Core i5 predictably lacks HyperThreading, and only features 6 MB of L3 cache, while the Core i7 features HyperThreading, and the full 8 MB present on the chip. The "Skylake" silicon will be built on the 14 nm process.

The EVGA X99 Micro2 takes all the great features from the EVGA X99 Micro motherboard, and upgrades it with USB 3.1 Type-C, increased SATA ports, improved layout design + BIOS and refreshed look. The EVGA X99 Micro2 offers a stunning set of features and overclocking support, along with EVGA's new GUI BIOS that focuses on the best overclocking support, functionality, and usability.

Get your PC future proof ready with the EVGA X99 Micro2 motherboard. This motherboard features the next generation USB 3.1 Type-C connector that delivers transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s for unbelievable performance. Compact mATX form factor at 9.6in x 9.6in, yet still allows for enthusiast features such as SLI, robust SATA 6G expandability, M.2 support, incredible overclocking and more.

Intel Corporation and Micron Technology, Inc. today unveiled 3D XPoint technology, a non-volatile memory that has the potential to revolutionize any device, application or service that benefits from fast access to large sets of data. Now in production, 3D XPoint technology is a major breakthrough in memory process technology and the first new memory category since the introduction of NAND flash in 1989.

The explosion of connected devices and digital services is generating massive amounts of new data. To make this data useful, it must be stored and analyzed very quickly, creating challenges for service providers and system builders who must balance cost, power and performance trade-offs when they design memory and storage solutions. 3D XPoint technology combines the performance, density, power, non-volatility and cost advantages of all available memory technologies on the market today. The technology is up to 1,000 times faster and has up to 1,000 times greater endurance3 than NAND, and is 10 times denser than conventional memory.

With its 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors, Intel is throwing in everything it's got, into increasing performance of the integrated graphics. This is necessitated not by some newfound urge to compete with entry-discrete GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD, but a rather sudden increase in display resolutions, after nearly a decade of stagnation. Notebook and tablet designers are wanting to cram in higher resolution displays, such as WQHD (2560 x 1440), 4K (3840 x 2160), and beyond, and are finding it impossible to achieve them without discrete graphics. This is what Intel is likely after. The aftereffect of this effort would be that the iGPU will be finally capable of playing some games at 720p or 900p resolutions, with moderate eye-candy. Games such as League of Legends should be fairly playable, even at 1080p. Intel claims that its 9th generation integrated graphics will over a 50% performance increment over the previous generation.

Moving on to CPU, and the performance-increase is a predictable 10-20% single/multi-thread CPU performance, over "Broadwell." This is roughly similar to how "Haswell" bettered "Ivy Bridge," and how "Sandy Bridge" bettered "Lynnfield." Intel will provide platform support on some of its "Skylake-U" ultraportable variants, for much of the modern I/O used by today's tablets and notebooks, which required third-party controllers, and which competing semi-custom SoCs natively offer, such as eMMC 5.0, SDIO 3.0, SATA 6 Gb/s, PCIe gen 3.0, and USB 3.0. Communications are also improved, with 2x 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.1, and WiDi 6.0.

Many electronic devices, including network-attached storage (NAS), are not designed to have their power supply suddenly cut. Unforeseen circumstances that result in power outages can cause data loss that could set back your business operations significantly.

To prevent such events from occurring with the Thecus N5810PRO, a built-in mini-UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) has been included with the unit. The mini-UPS battery provides emergency power if the main power source where to fail. In the event of a power failure the mini-UPS will stand by for approximately 30 seconds (dependent on services in operation). If power is restored within this time frame, the NAS will continue at its normal state. If power has not been restored, the NAS will commence shut down of all operations.

It's been gloomy at the markets in the wake of the European economic crisis. This along with a revised quarterly outlook released by the company, hit AMD very hard over the past week. The AMD stock opened to a stock price of 1.87 down -0.09 or -4.59% at the time of writing this report, which sets the company's market capitalization at $1.53 billion. This is almost a quarter of what AMD paid to acquire ATI Technology, about a decade ago ($5.60 billion). Earlier this month, AMD took a steep fall of -15.59%, seeing its market cap drop by a quarter.

Intel is now worth $140.8 billion (92 times more), and NVIDIA $10.7 billion (7 times more). Among the issues affecting AMD are decline in PC sales and stiff competition. However, reasonably positive earnings put out by Intel disproves AMD's excuse that the market is to blame for bad performance, and the company could slide even further, hitting its all-time-low at the financial markets. The company will host an earnings call later today.

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore's claim that transistor counts in microprocessors can be doubled with 2 years, by means of miniaturizing silicon lithography is beginning to buckle. In its latest earnings release, CEO Brian Krzanich said that the company's recent product cycles marked a slowing down of its "tick-tock" product development from 2 years to close to 2.5 years. With the company approaching sub-10 nm scales, it's bound to stay that way.

To keep Moore's Law alive, Intel adopted a product development strategy it calls tick-tock. Think of it as a metronome that give rhythm to the company. Each "tock" marks the arrival of a new micro-architecture, and each "tick" marks its miniaturization to a smaller silicon fab process. Normally, each year is bound to see one of the two in alternation.

Intel Corporation today reported second-quarter revenue of $13.2 billion, operating income of $2.9 billion, net income of $2.7 billion and EPS of 55 cents. The company generated approximately $3.4 billion in cash from operations, paid dividends of $1.1 billion, and used $697 million to repurchase 22 million shares of stock.

"Second-quarter results demonstrate the transformation of our business as growth in data center, memory and IoT accounted for more than 70 percent of our operating profit and helped offset a challenging PC market," said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich. "We continue to be confident in our growth strategy and are focused on innovation and execution. We expect the launches of Skylake, Microsoft's Windows 10 and new OEM systems will bring excitement to client computing in the second half of 2015."

In a bid to regain market share lost to Intel and Killer (Qualcomm) in the DIY motherboard market, particularly with motherboards targeted at online gaming PC builds; Realtek unveiled a new onboard LAN solution called the Realtek Dragon. Intel and Killer have replaced Realtek as a preferred onboard Ethernet chip provider for DIY PC motherboards over the past two generations, as perception of their lower driver overhead, lower latencies, and other advantages spread. Sensing that merely improving drivers for its existing RTL8111 family of PCIe gigabit Ethernet PHY chips won't fix the situation, Realtek sought to give its latest generation an off-beat brand name that it hopes could appeal to the DIY crowd.

At the heart of the Realtek Dragon is the new RTL8118AS, a PCIe gigabit Ethernet PHY, much like the 8111 family. Realtek says it made refinements to the chip over previous generations, which will offer better performance (lower driver overhead) for traffic with small UDP packets, which is how most online multiplayer games work, and lower power consumption than competing solutions, such as the Killer E2200. Realtek even set a new branding for its chip, and will allow motherboard makers to print it on their PCBs, just as they print branding for Killer or Intel onboard LAN solutions. Realtek Dragon will make its debut with certain socket LGA1151 motherboards by ECS.

Today Intel Corporation's CEO, Brian Krzanich, announced a series of leadership and organizational changes in a message to employees. Intel President Renée James informed the board that she will be stepping down as President of Intel to pursue an external CEO role. She has agreed to stay at Intel until January in order to transition the Executive Office. In connection with today's news, James today distributed an employee message about her plans.

In addition, other leadership and organizational changes that are being made to streamline operations and better position Intel for growth include: Arvind Sodhani, President of Intel Capital, will retire in January after a distinguished 35-year career with the company. President of Mergers and Acquisitions Wendell Brooks will take an expanded role to also become President of Intel Capital. Merging these teams under one leader will allow clear focus across all investment opportunities for Intel.

On July 1, the Intel Security organization - formerly the independent McAfee division - was formally integrated into Intel operations under the leadership of General Manager Chris Young. This integration will deliver better technologies for our customers and more effective operations that enable Intel Security to advance the state of security across the industry.

Intel is expected to debut its 6th generation Core "Skylake" desktop processor family at Gamescom 2015, which will be held in Cologne, Germany, between 5th and 9th August. PC enthusiasts should look forward to two parts in particular, the Core i7-6700K, and the Core i5-6600K. The two quad-core chips will be built in the LGA1151 package, compatible with upcoming motherboards based on Intel's 100-series chipset. Motherboards based on the Intel Z170 Express chipset will allow CPU overclocking. The integrated memory controller of "Skylake" CPUs support both DDR3 and DDR4 memory standards, and should prove to be a transition point between the two.

Following the i7-6700K and i5-6600K with Z170 chipset motherboards, at Gamescom; Intel will launch other parts in the 6th gen. Core processor family between late-August and early-September. Those launches will include i7-6700/6700T, Core i5-6600, 6500, 6400, 6600T, 6500T and 6400T, and H170 and B150 chipsets. Then in late-September, the company will launch the entry-level H110 chipset.

Samsung Display Co., Ltd. unveiled the industry's first Mirror and Transparent OLED display panels in a dazzling state-of-the-art showcase for personalized shopping and informational browsing, held this week at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exhibit features the first retail use of advanced commercial OLED panels - a "virtual necklace" display for the world renowned Chow Sang Sang jewelry company.

The new Samsung Display OLED panel technology provides a digital viewing platform for making the consumer purchasing experience more visually engaging. When Samsung's OLED display technology is integrated with Intel Real Sense technology, a visually compelling, interactive closet or "self-modeling" wardrobe is created that can enable consumers to virtually "see" clothes or other retail items from an extremely realistic, customized perspective.

MSI, leading in motherboard design, is proud to announce that our Z97 & H97 motherboards fully support the 5th Generation Intel Core processors! With the latest BIOS update, current MSI Z97 & H97 motherboards are completely compatible with the 5th Gen Intel Core processors, and able to unleash your system's full performance.

Committed to ensuring compatibility and performance, the MSI R&D team is making sure you never have to worry about your MSI Z97 & H97 motherboard supporting the latest generation of Intel Core processors. If you want to fully enjoy all the advantages of the 5th Generation Intel Core processors, MSI Z97 & H97 motherboards are definitely your best choice.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced Crucial Ballistix DDR4 16GB performance memory. Ideal for gamers and enthusiasts who deal with content creation, virtual machines, RAM drives, and memory-intensive applications, the new Ballistix modules leverage Micron's new 8Gb DDR4 component technology to offer up the highest density DDR4 memory to date.

Until now, only expensive server systems have been able to reach these memory densities, but with Ballistix DDR4 16GB modules, users can achieve greater densities on high-end desktop systems like the latest Intel X99 platforms. Available across Sport LT, Tactical, and Elite product lines, each module includes Intel XMP 2.0 profiles for easy setup and support.

Intel Corporation today announced products and solutions that will deliver new user experiences and support the computing ecosystem's expansion into new areas. During the opening keynote address at Computex 2015, Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Client Computing Group encouraged the Taiwan ecosystem to work together and capture the opportunity to shape the future of computing.

"The power of Moore's Law has enabled incredible computing innovation over the past 50 years and because of it, nearly everything in the future will have the ability to compute and connect," said Skaugen. "Our 30-year history of collaboration with Taiwan has delivered historic innovation to the world, from personal computing to the cloud and data centers. The next 30 years will see even greater innovation as we deliver new computing experiences and bring intelligence and connectivity to the Internet of Things together."

AMD today announced that Jim Anderson (43) has joined the company as senior vice president and general manager of AMD's Computing and Graphics (CG) business group, reporting to President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. Anderson will be responsible for managing all aspects of strategy, business management, engineering, and sales for AMD's computing and graphics products and solutions.

"Jim's business and technical expertise make him another strong addition to AMD's leadership team," said Dr. Su. "His deep industry knowledge and proven ability to transform businesses to drive profitable growth make him the ideal candidate to lead the Computing and Graphics business."

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid state storage, is hosting two major extreme overclocking events at Computex 2015 (June 2~6): the OC World Cup 2015 and the OC World Record Stage 2015! 19 world-class overclockers, 5 motherboard vendors, and 3 hardware sponsors - all at the G.SKILL Computex Booth I0608, located at Nangang Exhibition Hall, 1F.

Very special thanks to Intel, Samsung, and Kingpin Cooling for sponsoring the OC World Cup 2015 and the 4th Annual OC World Record Stage extreme overclocking events. "Intel is pleased to be a sponsor of this year's G.SKILL OC World Cup & 4th Annual OC World Record Stage at Computex 2015," says Gregory Bryant, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Intel Corporation. "Intel processors and chipsets enable mind-blowing experiences and we are glad to be a part of this exciting event."

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics card and mini PCs, today puts the limelight on the brand new R Series, the new member of the ZBOX mini PC family. This is the small form factor solution that is more than a personal PC with its storage solution and functionalities while providing the same power efficiency and space saving features that users expect from ZBOX.

"This is certainly a breakthrough for both the mini PC and personal computing," explains Tony Wong, CEO, ZOTAC International. "We are adding more functions to elevate the mini PC to a whole new plane while keeping our signature space saving design and power efficiency. This new addition to the mini PC family will open new doors to even more functionalities."

Intel's upcoming 5th generation Core processors targeted at PC enthusiasts, the Core i7-5775K, and the Core i5-5675K, will be available in the retail channel on June 1st (NA, EMEA), and June 2nd (APAC). The two were available to the OEM channel since earlier this month. This is when you will be able to buy the two at a ground store, or online, in retail (box) packaging. Built in the LGA1150 package, the two will be compatible with existing Intel 9-series chipset motherboards (with BIOS updates).

Based on the swanky new 14 nm "Broadwell" silicon, the i7-5775C and the i5-5675C are quad-core chips. The i7-5775C offers clock speeds of 3.30 GHz, which spools up to 3.70 GHz with Turbo Boost; and will feature HyperThreading, enabling 8 logical CPUs. The i5-5675C offers 3.10 GHz clocks, with 3.60 GHz Turbo Boost frequencies. Both chips will offer 6 MB of L3 cache, Intel Iris Pro 6200 graphics; and TDP as low as 65W. For this reason, and others, the two won't exactly replace the i7-4790K and i5-4690K from the product stack. The two will ship with unlocked base-clock multipliers, letting you overclock them, and could still make for great buys for premium gaming PC builds.

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced that it has created the world's fastest DDR4 128GB memory kit running at an astounding 3000MHz. The kit consists of eight 16GB HyperX Predator modules (16GB x 8) motherboard in an eight module, quad-channel configuration along with an MSI X99 MPOWER motherboard in an eight module, quad-channel configuration along with an Intel Core i7 5820K processor.

During Computex en Taipei,HyperX will unleash a high-performance system featuring the upcoming 16GB modules powered by the recently released HyperX Predator M.2 PCIe SSD. The live demo will take place during the HyperX Roadshow Experience from June 4-7, 2015, at the ATT 4 FUN center, in Taipei. More details will be forthcoming about availability and pricing for HyperX Predator 16GB DDR4 modules and kits.

Without much noise, Intel released the latest version of its Chipset Device software (INF update utility), that driver you install just after OS setup and forget about; which comes with a curious release notes. Version 10.0.27, adds support for three of the year's big buzzwords for PC enthusiasts - Intel 100-series chipsets (notably the Z170 Express chipset), 6th Generation Core "Skylake" processors, and Windows 10. The software comes with driver dates of 5th May, 2015, and given that Z170-driven socket LGA1151 motherboards are already in industry circulation as engineering samples, such as this one, product launches could be quite close. One can expect Z170-driven motherboards to make an appearance at Computex 2015 (early-June). Core "Skylake" processors launch later this year. Windows 10, on the other hand, is expected to launch in July.DOWNLOAD: Intel Chipset Device Software 10.0.27