Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the industry's research and consulting firm for graphics and multimedia, announced estimated graphics chip shipments and suppliers' market share for Q4'11.

We found that shipments during the fourth quarter of 2011 behaved according to past years with regard to seasonality, the new seasonality that has developed since the economic crash of 2008. Prior to that shift, Q4 was a seasonally up quarter, since 2008 it's been a seasonally low to down quarter-and this year it was down the most since 2008. A lot of it was blamed on the floods in Thailand, but general economic malaise still permeates the industry.

Intel was reportedly planning to limit mass-shipments of its third-generation Core processors (codenamed: "Ivy Bridge") to notebook ODMs, to help in digestion of swelling inventories of current-generation "Sandy Bridge" Core processors. Only a few models (those targeting Ultrabooks and mainstream notebooks) are expected to face delays till June, performance desktop retail processors will most likely not be affected, their launch is on-course for April.

To make up for the delay, Intel will might lower prices of its Ivy Bridge chips by as much as $70 a piece. The lower prices would ease transition between the two generations of processors without causing a price-shock to ODMs, when they then have to transfer to the end-users. Intel already attractive pricing for its Sandy Bridge CPUs to help clear inventories. The result of all this would be Ivy Bridge-powered notebooks being not much more expensive than current-generation Sandy Bridge-powered ones, on launch.

Hiroshige Goto, contributor for PC Watch that is known for detailed schematics of dies estimated the layout of Ivy Bridge silicon. Ivy Bridge is Intel's brand new multi-core processor silicon built on its new 22 nanometer silicon fabrication process. The four core silicon, which four configurations can be carved, will be built into packages that are pin-compatible with today's Sandy Bridge processors. The die area of Ivy Bridge is 160 mm², it has a total transistor count of 1.48 billion, compared to the Sandy Bridge silicon, which has 1.16 billion transistors crammed into a die 216 mm² in area, built on the 32 nm process.

Ivy Bridge has essentially the same layout as Sandy Bridge. The central portion of the die has four x86-64 cores with 256 KB dedicated L2 cache each, and a shared 8 MB L3 cache, while either sides of the central portion has the system agent and the graphics core. All components are bound by a ring-bus, that transports tagged data between the four CPU cores, the graphics core, the L3 cache, and the system agent, which has interfaces for the dual-channel DDR3 integrated memory controller, the PCI-Express controller, and the DMI chipset bus.

Intel is reportedly working on a new Atom "Cedar View" processor model for low-power static computing devices such as entry-level PCs and nettops, the Atom D2550. This new model retains most of the specifications of the Atom D2500. Its two x86 cores are still clocked at 1.86 GHz, featuring HyperThreading technoloy, 512 KB L2 cache per core, even the TDP stays at 10W. The D2550, however, brings slightly faster integrated graphics. Its graphics core is clocked at 640 MHz, compared to 400 MHz on the D2500. Intel will be taking orders for the new chip from ODMs starting some time in March.

Tabula Inc., advancing programmable logic solutions for network infrastructure systems, today confirmed previous speculation that it is implementing a family of 3PLD products manufactured by Intel using its advanced 22 nm manufacturing process featuring 3-D Tri-Gate transistors and co-optimized packaging technology. This is made possible by a manufacturing access agreement between Tabula Inc., and Intel Custom Foundry, a division of the Technology and Manufacturing Group of Intel Corporation.

The 3PLD family will be based on Tabula's 3D Spacetime architecture and will deliver high-performance, cost-effective solutions for network infrastructure systems requiring high-bandwidth data flows such as Switches, Routers, Packet Inspection appliances, and other high-performance systems. The combination of process and architecture will allow Tabula to produce high-performance programmable circuits that consume significantly less chip area than circuits implemented with traditional FPGA fabrics.

The TMEIII is the next evolution of the hugely successful TherMax Eclipse CPU cooler series. The increased number of heat-pipes combined with a higher number and density of dimpled fins and crowned with two (2) high airflow, Nano Bearing DC fans for extreme cooling performance. Five (5) U-shaped 8 mm all-copper heat-pipes are in direct contact with the CPU heat-spreader (heat source), rapid heat transfer to the 45 aluminum dimpled fins providing a larger surface area for optimum heat dissipation.

The TME III is supplied with two (2) 12 cm BlackStar 7 blades, high quality precision Nano - Bearing DC fans, providing high airflow and sufficient cooling. These fans are PWM controlled to provide the best sound / cooling ratio possible. Compatibility is guaranteed with multi-platform mounting for all current Intel and AMD micro-processors. The TME III brings cooling power to an all-new level. Another amazing product from Spire - Powered by Innovation.

According to a fresh report, April will not 'only' see the launch of the Ivy Bridge processor family, as Intel is also preparing the arrival of some new solid state drives specifically designed to be used in SSD/HDD storage setups (made possible by the Smart Response Technology).

The incoming SSD Caching drives are known as the 313 Series (they will replace the 311 Series aka Larson Creek), they come in 2.5-inch (7 mm thick) and mSATA form factors, and make use of 25 nm SLC (single-level cell) NAND Flash memory chips (the 311 models pack 34 nm NAND). The 313 Series SSDs have a SATA 3.0 Gbps interface and will be available in 20 GB ($99) and 24 GB ($119) capacities.

The world's leading brand, Team Group Inc. has made headway and gone on to another record breaking OC memory products. The newly unprecedented introduction of dual-channel Xtreem LV DDR3 2800 CL11 module is the highest standard of its kind on the market today, refreshing a new history in OC memory's market!

Team Group's Xtreem LV series have always been praised, not only OC memory products come with excellent cost-effective value and have been well received by all sectors. Following the publication of quad-channel Xtreem LV DDR3 2600 CL10, Team Group has once again led the industry and released the world's limited dual-channel Xtreem LV DDR3 2800 CL11. As it adopts strictly selected chips from original factories and has to pass through stringent tests and verification procedures, it is able to enhance even further its support capabilities after teaming up with the latest Intel XMP V1.3 version. In addition, it is also collocated with eight-layer PCB in order to increase its stability performance by up to 8GB (4GB*2) large capacity. Its built-in ultra-high clock design is able to allow the computer operation to reach an unimpeded speed.

Last week ORIGIN PC announced the availability of their new EON17-X desktop replacement laptop, the most powerful laptop for gamers, artists, and professionals. Today ORIGIN PC announces the world's first 3D laptop with dual graphics cards: The EON17-X3D featuring the latest Intel X79 chipset, 2nd generation Intel hexcore processors, and dual overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards in SLI. The EON17-X3D marks the first 3D laptop from ORIGIN PC with a customizable backlit keyboard with three lighting zones and seven color options.

An Expreview community member ran benchmarks comparing the performance of the Intel HD 4000 graphics embedded into its upcoming 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" Core i5-3570K, comparing it to the integrated graphics of Core i5-2500K, and discrete graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 240. These tests are endorsed by the site. The suite of benchmarks included games that aren't quite known to be very taxing on graphics hardware by today's standards, yet are extremely popular; games such as StarCraft II, Left4Dead 2, DiRT 3, Street Fighter IV. Some of the slightly more graphics-intensive benchmarks included Far Cry 2 and 3DMark Vantage. All benchmarks were run at 1280 x 720 resolution.

The Intel HD 4000 graphics core beats the HD 3000 hands down, with performance leads as high as 122% in a particular test. The chip produces more than playable frame-rates with Left4Dead 2 and Street Fighter IV, both well above 50 FPS, even DiRT 3 and Far Cry 2 run strictly OK, over 30 FPS. StarCraft II is where it produced under 30 FPS, so the chip might get bogged down in intense battles. A mainstream discrete GeForce or Radeon is a must. On average, the graphics core embedded into the Core i5-3570K was found to be 67.25% faster than the one on the Core i5-2500K.

Two models from Intel's Desktop Board Executive series of motherboards for office PCs got pictured and detailed by VR-Zone. These socket LGA1155 motherboards are mostly based on Intel 7-series Q77 and B75 chipsets, that provide some manageability, and data security features over the feature-set of H77. Intel has three Executive series models planned, the DQ77MK, the DQ77KB, and DB75EN. Of these, the DQ77MK and DB75EN are built in the micro-ATX form-factor, while the DQ77KB is mini-ITX.

The two micro-ATX parts use a similar PCB layout, with some features differing between the two. The DQ77MK is pictured below, it has all the features a small-business PC will ever need. Expansion slots include one each of PCI-Express x16, PCI-Express x4 (open-ended), PCI-Express x1, and legacy PCI. Storage connectivity includes six SATA (one of which is mSATA, for SSD caching). The PCH gives out four USB 3.0 ports, which are wired two each on the rear-panel and via a header to the front-panel. It uses a simple 5-phase VRM that should be enough to run LGA1155 processors. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel memory. It has a variety of external connectivity.

In what could come as a disappointment to some, Intel has reportedly put off mass-shipments of its third-generation Core processors (codenamed "Ivy Bridge") to June. The company, however, will go ahead with its April launch schedule, and will issue small shipments of these chips. This information comes from sources among notebook manufacturers.

This delay, however, doesn't appear to be linked to Intel's ability to ship the new 22 nm chips. Sources say that most notebooks vendors are having a very hard time digesting inventories of current-generation "Sandy Bridge" Core processors, and so the delay is merely to help them ship the last of their notebooks running current-generation chips, and to minimize the impact of the onset of new chips. Notebook vendors are currently seeing lukewarm demand.

AMD's Radeon HD 7800 series performance GPUs that target cost-benefit sweet-spots will be launched in the first half of March. The launch will include Radeon HD 7870 and Radeon HD 7850. The two SKUs are based on a new 28 nm ASIC codenamed "Pitcairn". Little is known about its specifications at this point, from reliable sources at least.

In April, AMD's rival NVIDIA will get its GeForce Kepler family of GPUs, all guns blazing. In April alone, NVIDIA is expected to launch a high-end part, the GeForce GTX 690, a performance part, the GeForce GTX 660, and mainstream part GeForce GTX 640. The three will be based on three new ASICs built on the 28 nm process, the GK110, GK104, and GK106, respectively.

April will be the most interesting month for PC enthusiasts as Intel will launch its third-generation Core processor family, codename "Ivy Bridge". Little is known about AMD's high-end Radeon HD 7990 "New Zealand".

CyberpowerPC Inc., a manufacturer of custom gaming machines, today announced its Zeus series - a powerful new line of desktop computers that offer the power of thunder with Intel's new i7-3820 CPU; the speed of AMD's lightning fast FX CPUs; the refined design of NZXT's Switch 810 chassis, and legendary Advanced Hydro Liquid Cooling.

The initial Zeus rollout includes six models. The Zeus Thunder 1000, 2000, 300 and MAX will all feature Intel's latest CPUs, including the new 2nd Gen. Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E quad-core CPU operating at 3.6 GHz, a 10 MB L3 cache and HyperThreading support. The Zeus Lightning series consists of the 1000 and 2000 models with the AMD FX series native 8-core desktop processor, which allows you to immerse yourself in the most advanced 3D games and achieve extreme mega-tasking with ease.

Details of desktop Core i7 and Core i5 "Ivy Bridge" processors in the LGA1155 package have been detailed at lengths, in the past. Core i3 parts based on the same 22 nm Ivy Bridge silicon, however, were relatively known. Tables listing out updated information about the lineup points out that Intel has as many as five Core i3 "Ivy Bridge" desktop processors in the works, all dual-core, and among which two are low-power parts.

The table also suggests that these Core i3 chips will have reduced features, importantly, the lack of PCI-Express 3.0 bus. When connected to these chips, PCI-E 3.0 add-on cards (such as graphics cards) will function in PCI-Express 2.0 mode. Further, these chips will lack support for AES-NI (accelerates encryption), VT-d (enhanced virtualization), and TXT (security). Certain models in the lineup have faster integrated graphics, denoted by a "5" in the end of the model number. These chips also lack Turbo Boost for the x86 cores, but feature HyperThreading.

Intel went to the market with its first-generation Ultrabook platform hoping that by the end of 2012, Ultrabooks would make up as high as 40% of all notebook sales. Notebook vendors like Acer relayed a slightly more realistic 25-35% figure in mind. Alas, the two will have to rethink their expectations, as notebook vendors are lowering it to 20%, thanks to the reception Ultrabooks got in Europe. The old continent constitutes a large and mature market for notebook sales, but Ultrabooks so far aren't appealing to European buyers.

This statement is backed by the latest sales data. According to this data, European consumers prefer 15-inch (or bigger) conventional notebooks. 15-inch notebooks constitute 40-45% of global notebook sales. There were no 15-inch Ultrabooks. 30-40% of global notebook sales comprise of 14-inch models. There is a 14-inch Ultrabook, HP's Envy 14 Spectre, but it is priced as high as US $1,399. Ultrabooks have so far been launched to test market response and if vendors want to increase sales, they have to lower prices from US$1,000 to US$699, the sources in the notebook industry supply chains point out.

Intel Corporation today disclosed several significant features for the company's next-generation communications platform, codenamed "Crystal Forest." Building upon Intel's strong presence in communications infrastructure, the platform will handle data processing across the network more efficiently and securely, while addressing the specialized needs for handling cloud connectivity and content processing.

Each minute of the day, 30 hours of video are uploaded across the network, and by 2015 it is estimated to take 5 years to watch all the video crossing IP networks each second. As these numbers continue to climb, the burden will be on equipment manufacturers and service providers to deliver platform solutions that can cost-effectively manage rapidly increasing traffic without compromising performance and security.

BIOSTAR, the world's famous manufacturer of mainboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, proudly announces the BIOSTAR TZ77XE4 motherboards within the CeBIT 2012. The most frequent word combination in description of the new flagship lineup will be "for the first time" because the TZ77XE4 boards house a great deal of innovative technologies not found even in premium desktop solutions.

The TZ77XE4 boards are based on the latest Intel Z77 chipset, which for the first time incorporates tri-gate transistors manufactured using the 22-nm fab process which, for the first time, delivers a native support for the high-speed USB 3.0 interface and fast SSD caching with the Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT). Fully compatible with the second-generation Intel Core CPUs (Sandy Bridge), the new boards for the first time support the third generation Intel Core CPUs codenamed Ivy Bridge, also manufactured with the 3D-transistors using the 22-nm fab process and designed for the popular LGA 1155 socket.

ORIGIN PC announced today the availability of their new EON17-X desktop replacement laptop. Featuring the latest Intel X79 chipset, 2nd generation Intel hexcore processors, and overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards in SLI the EON17-X is the most powerful laptop on the market for gamers, artists, enthusiasts, and professionals. The EON17-X marks the first laptop from ORIGIN PC with a customizable backlit keyboard with two lighting zones and seven color options.

The ORIGIN EON17-X is available now with a 3D model including a built-in 3D emitter coming in early Q2.

Some time in 2013, Intel will launch its new processor architecture, codenamed "Haswell", which will go on to succeed "Ivy Bridge". More than an year away from its market entry, Haswell has already been exhaustively documented, but not many got into the details about its embedded graphics processor. That is, until now. A new internal slide sourced by DonanimHaber details the integrated GPU (iGPU), it appears like Intel has solid plans for home users.

To begin with, Haswell's iGPU will be DirectX 11.1 compliant, which means it will take advantage of API optimizations that improve performance, for typical desktop usage scenarios. Apart from support for a new DirectCompute architecture, it will also support OpenCL 1.2, which speeds up certain GPGPU-optimized applications. More importantly, the iGPU will be designed around a new stereoscopic 3D standard called Auto-Stereoscopic 3D (AS3D), which will take the likes of Blu-ray 3D acceleration, stereo 3D photos, etc., to the masses. Currently, it takes at least an entry-level GeForce or Radeon GPU to for acceptable performance with stereo 3D.

Intel's most affordable processor in the LGA2011 package, the Core i7-3820, surfaced on Japanese stores in the Akihabara electronics shopping district of Tokyo. It is priced around 25,000 JPY (US $322). The retail box of this chip, carrying the S-Spec code "SR0LD", appears to be as big as those of the Core i7-3930K and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, its shape indicates that it lacks a bundled cooling solution, and so users should still rely on compatible third-party coolers, or use Intel's RTS2011LC, purchased separately.

The Core i7-3820 is a quad-core part carved out of the Sandy Bridge-E silicon. It has four cores, and eight logical CPUs enabled with HyperThreading Technology. The chip is clocked at 3.60 GHz. Caches include 256 KB L2 per core, and 10 MB shared L3. The chip retains the quad-channel DDR3 IMC present on the more expensive six-core parts. It is also said to be "limited unlocked", meaning it allows multiplier-assisted overclocking to a certain limit. The Core i7-3820 is not officially launched, though it should be unofficially supported by most socket LGA2011 motherboards based on the X79 chipset.

Showcased at CES last month, the S1081 tablet PC/slate based around the Intel Cedar Trail platform has now found its way onto its maker's (Gigabyte) website for a full reveal of its specs. Seen below, the mobile device measures 270 (W) x 173 (D) x 14.94 (H) mm, it weights between 790 grams (when equipped with an SSD) and 850 grams (with a HDD), and features a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) LED-backlit capacitive touchscreen, and a 1.86 GHz Atom N2800 processor.

The S1081 also packs 2/4 GB of RAM, up to a 500 GB HDD or up to a 256 GB SSD, an SD card reader, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, dual 1.5 W speakers, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFI, Bluetooth 3.0, optional 3.5G, one USB 3.0 ports, D-Sub and HDMI outputs, and a 4000 mAh battery. The slate's pricing and release date have yet to be announced.

Acer subsidiary Gateway has also adopted Intel's Cedar Trail platform and released a netbook built around it, the LT4004U. This new netbook runs Windows 7 Starter and features a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) LED-backlit display, a 1.6 GHz Atom N2600 dual-core processor, GMA 3600 integrated graphics, 1 GB of RAM, a 250 GB (5400 RPM) hard drive, a multi-in-1 card reader, 10/100 LAN, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a HDMI output, and a 6-cell battery providing 8 hours of operation.

The LT4004U costs $279.99 and can be found here.

Since it needs to make way for 22 nm processors (codename Ivy Bridge) Intel has decided on discontinuing two more 32 nm chips, the 3.2 GHz Core i3-550 and the 3.33 GHz i3-560.

Released back in 2010, these 'old timers' will be available for new orders until June 29 and will continue shipping till December 7th (for the tray SKUs) or until supplies are depleted (boxed SKUs).

Intel Corporation and the New York Attorney General have agreed to terminate the lawsuit alleging violation of U.S. and state antitrust laws that was filed by the New York Attorney General in November 2009.

The agreement, which follows a December 2011 court ruling that greatly reduced the scope of the New York Attorney General's lawsuit, expressly states that Intel does not admit either any violation of law or that the allegations in the complaint are true, and it calls for no changes to the way Intel does business. The agreement includes a payment of $6.5 million from Intel that is intended only to cover some of the costs incurred by the New York Attorney General in the litigation.