Back in March 2008, Thermaltake introduced its first phase change cooling prototype. At the time, we were able to reveal only a few pictures, without knowing what was to come. Today Thermaltake said that after four years of research, the company's first DC inverter type micro refrigeration cooling system is finally ready to hit the market. The so-called Thermaltake XPRESSAR utilizes cyclic refrigeration method based on the vapor-compression refrigeration, to take away the heat produced by processors. Vapor-compression refrigeration systems use a circulating liquid refrigerant as cooling medium which absorbs and removes heat from the space to be cooled and subsequently reject that heat elsewhere. All such systems have four components: a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. For now the XPRESSAR phase-change cooling will be paired with a Xaser VI case and sold as XPRESSAR RCS100. The total weight of both parts will equal to 22.2kg. Thermaltake ensures that such a system will result in 20ºC better temps than most liquid-based systems, and also be compatible with all Intel LGA775 and LGA1366 (Nehalem) processors (maybe an AMD kit will be released sometime later). More information on the XPRESSAR RCS100 can be found here. Pricing and availability are still to be announced. It's time for the reviews now.

New reports suggest that on October 19th (on my birthday) Intel is planning to cut the prices of several Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors. According to the report on that date prices of the 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 and the 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 will drop from $193 to $183, and from $224 to $193 respectively. Intel's dual-core 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo E7300 will fall from $133 to $113. In addition the company plans to introduce a new 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo E7400 part on that date too.

Intel has officially begun shipping a 45nm dual-core Intel Atom Processor known as the Intel Atom Processor 330. The newest member of the Atom family is designed specifically for nettops, which are affordable desktops purpose-built primarily for web surfing, email, and basic Internet usage. The dual-core Intel Atom Processor 330 features a 1.6GHz processing core, 1MB of level 2 cache, an 8W TDP and support for DDR2 667. The new processor is available as an integrated package and has been validated with the Intel 945GC Express Chipset, featuring built-in Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and Intel High Definition Audio.

Habey USA, leading manufacturer of embedded and server storage products, today announces BIS-7750, the first Intel SoC based fanless NAS/Network Appliance embedded platform. BIS-7750 is based on Intel's latest EP80579 Tolapai Integrated Processor with Intel QuickAssist Technology. It offers five PCIe Gigabit Ethernet ports, Ethernet bypass segment, PCIe 4x slot, mini-PCIe slot for expansion, dual SATA II channel and supports up to 2GB of system memory. It is designed for small-to-medium business (SMB) and enterprise security and communications appliances (including VPN/firewall and unified threat management), transaction terminals, interactive clients, print and imaging applications, wireless and WiMax access applications, SMB and home network attached storage (NAS), converged IP PBX solutions, converged access platforms, IP media servers, and VoIP gateways.

Thanks to some inside information that was published today by various hardware portals, now we know that Intel has decided to enhance the overclocking capabilities of two of its still to be released non-Extreme Core i7 processors. Intel's LGA 1366 Core i7-940 and Core i7-920, which are clocked at 2.93GHz and 2.66GHz respectively will now boast unlocked memory controlers, meaning that users will be able to change the memory multiplier and thus the memory frequency beyond the stock DDR3 800/1066MHz speed. The unlocked memory multiplier will also allow the QPI speed to be changed. The Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) bus resembles AMD's Hypertransport bus. A slide change in the memory frequency will result in higher QPI bus speed, just like in the current AMD processor family. Previously, we knew that only the Core i7 Extreme processors like the 3.2GHz Core i7-965 Extreme Edition will have these overclocking features. I sincerely hope that with this last minute change Intel will make us overclockers really happy.

Intel has updated its plans with the desktop CPU lineup across segments with some of the current products getting discontinued from manufacturing. The company will send product discontinuance notices (PDNs), documents sent to relevant firms in the industry, notifying them of a time-frame in which the company plans to stop production of a product. Some products are also slated to reach end of life (EOL). Along with this, there are also plans to bring in new products based on the current architecture.

Sources at motherboard vendors tell that by Q1 2009, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and QX9650 discontinue, with PDNs being issued. They will be totally phased-out by Q2. The company will also send out PDNs for four quad-core CPUs including the Core 2 Quad Q9450, ten dual-core CPUs including the Core 2 Duo E8300, three Pentium CPUs including the Pentium E2220 and the Celeron E1200 starting in November, and all products will phase out between the first and second quarters next year. Other highlights include:

Later this year, Intel will launch three models of processors based on a newer socket, a newer architecture. The processors are based on the Nehalem-derived Bloomfield core, and require a compatible motherboard with the 1366-pin land grid array (LGA) socket. There are three models lined up, one in each category of extreme, performance and mainstream. They carry the Core i7 brand name and here are its model numbers:

• Core i7 Extreme 965 (PIB model: BX80601965)
• Core i7 940 (PIB model: BX80601940)
• Core i7 920 (PIB model: BX80601920)

The 965 is a Extreme series product that sits on the top of the pile, it should be the fastest desktop processor ever made. The 940 falls into the performance category, given its price. It is trailed by the 920 which seems to have the best price to clock speed, it falls into the mainstream category. A table explaining parameters in detail and model prices is provided.

The Intel Core 2 Duo E7000 series has brought in great performance at a low price point. They are basically current 45nm Wolfdale core based processors with 3 MB of L2 cache and 1066 MHz FSB. What it also means that it comes with higher FSB multiplier values to achieve the designated clock speeds. For applications that aren't cache intensive, and for users with appropriate tweaking skills, the E7000 series is a boon. Sources claim that on October 19th, Intel will release the Core 2 Duo E7400 processor, a successor to the current E7300. The release also affects prices across its segment.

The E7400 comes with a 2.80 GHz clock speed. It comes with a FSB multiplier of 10.5x for and 3 MB of L2 cache. Coming to its price, it displaces the E7300 from its current price of US $133 and pushes it down to $113, the E7400 will be priced at $133. In its segment, the E7400 will compete with AMD's Phenom X3 8750 and Phenom X4 9550, though it is expected to perform better than AMD's offerings in that price-range given today's applications.

Intel Corporation has extended its lead in the high-end server segment, setting new standards in virtualization performance with the launch of seven 45 nanometer (nm)-manufactured Intel Xeon Processor 7400 Series products. With up to six processing cores per chip and 16MB of shared cache memory, applications built for virtualized environments and data demanding workloads, such as databases, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning and server consolidation, experience dramatic performance increases of almost 50 percent in some cases.

Intel's upcoming Nehalem architecture brings in a host of changes. One of the most important of them is that the processors now carry memory controllers. From what is known so far, the upcoming Nehalem processors come with official support for DDR3 800 MHz and DDR3 1066 MHz though talk is that it just could slip in DDR3 1333 MHz support on an official scale. Here's a complication: Some of the computer enthusiasts with plans of retaining their current DDR3 1800/2000/beyond may have severe problems running the memory at their rated frequencies on a Nehalem chip. They might not work on their rated frequencies at all.

The reason behind this is that Nehalem has processor and memory voltages synchronized. Fresh studies suggest that a voltage of 2.0 V can fry a Nehalem processor. It was earlier noted that this voltage limit was 1.60 V to 1.70 V. It would need extreme caution for you to set the core to run at even 1.8 V since at that voltage the processor could start degrading and finally cease to work. The conclusion is that the Nehalem platform, with its synchronized CPU and memory voltages, will be limited by the DDR3 modules ability to reach high frequencies at lower voltages. This could have implications on the kind of memory kits that come out in the near future. Manufacturers could offer high-end kits that function well within 1.6 V with the supposedly high frequencies albeit loose timings, just to keep the memory and processor operating safely.

Intel Corporation announced today it has begun shipping Intel X18-M and X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State Drives (SSDs) based on multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash technology for laptop and desktop computers. The new high-performing data storage devices give computer buyers a new level of system responsiveness in a lightweight, rugged, low-power package that can replace traditional hard disk drives. Validated for Intel-based computers, the X18-M is a 1.8-inch drive and the X25-M a 2.5-inch drive, offering several advantages over hard drives including faster overall system response, boot and resume times. With no moving parts, SSDs run cooler and quieter and are a more reliable option than hard drives. In addition, SSDs remove input/output (I/O) performance bottlenecks associated with hard disk drives that help maximize the efficiency of Intel processors, such as the company's Core family of products. For example, lab tests show that the Intel X18-M and X25M increase storage system performance nine times over traditional hard disk drive performance.

A spy-shot of the dual-core Intel Atom processor has surfaced. The picture reveals an important bit about the design of the processor. Dual-core Atom isn't about two processor cores integrated onto one die, but two dies sharing a package and front-side bus, much in the same way its distant ancestor, the Pentium D was built. This design allows modularity and helps Intel cut manufacturing costs. They don't have to build separate wafers of dual-core dice but rather use two single core dice and integrate them onto one package. The Atom 330 will be the first product based on this design. Early performance tests with arithmetic and memory bandwidth reveal a good level of scaling, close to 100% that of the N270, a single-core 1.6 GHz part:

Intel Corporation continues to expand its 45-nanometer (nm) manufacturing chip portfolio with the launch of its first four halogen-free Intel Xeon processors, signaling another step in Intel's march toward minimizing the environmental footprint of its products. The chips reach new heights in performance and energy efficiency. Much of the energy efficiency these new processors provide comes from Intel's advanced 45nm manufacturing capability and its reinvented transistors that use a Hafnium-based high-k metal gate formula. In addition, all previously launched versions of the Intel Xeon 5200 and 5400 series will now be halogen-free.

Intentional or not, a huge set of company-confidential diagrams from Intel have surfaced from Japanese website PC Watch. The diagrams show Intel's roadmap until the beginning of 2010. While the authenticity of these diagrams are questionable, and there are bound to be inaccuracies, they provide a broad view of Intel's consumer PC processor plans. The first time shows a gradual transition between the current Core and upcoming Nehalem architectures. What's more, it shows how Intel may have segregated the desktop PC market, with six main product divisions from bottom to top being integrated board, value, essential, mainstream, performance and extreme. The value, mainstream and performance segments are further classified on price-bands.The contents of the diagram are pretty self explanatory in terms of what kind of products are slated for when and a little peak into what they are made of. Highlights of the diagram include:

On September 15th Intel plans to fabricate the Intel Xeon 7400 Dunnington series processor, the company's last Penryn generation processor to be released. Xeon 7400 will mark the end of a previous server era, and after it the new Nehalem Core i7 processor family will start to appear in the fourth quarter. The Xeon 7400 will be Intel's first 6-core server chip. It will be produced using 45nm high-k process technology and will boast 16MB of L3 cache. The Xeon 7400 Dunnington series is also one of the first Intel chips to have a monolithic design, like Nehalem. In other words, all six cores will be on one piece of silicon. To date, for any processor having more than two cores, Intel has put two separate pieces of silicon - referred to as die - inside of one chip package. Server vendors announcing Xeon 7400 powered products will include Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM and Unisys, according to Intel senior vice president Pat Gelsinger.

Intel launched three budget processors that include the Core 2 Quad Q8200, Core 2 Duo E5200 and Celeron D 450. The Q8200 quad-core chip comes with a clock-speed of 2.33 GHz. This processor is based on the newer 45 nm silicon fabrication process and comes with a total of 4 MB L2 cache. Owing to a front-side bus frequency of 1333 MHz, it comes with a FSB multiplier of 7x. This part is priced at US $224 in thousand-unit tray quantities.

The Core 2 Duo E5200 is clocked at 2.50 GHz, comes with 2 MB of L2 cache and 800 MHz FSB with a multiplier of 12.5x. It is priced at $84. This one is based on the 45nm process as well. The Celeron D 450 is clocked at 2.2 GHz with 800 MHz memory and features 512 KB of L2 cache. It is priced at $53 per piece. This however, is based on the older 65nm process.

A new world record has been set today (technically yesterday). Shark OC Team Italy has published the undeniable evidence that their DFI DK P45-T2RS PLUS motherboard and Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 processor are the fastest computer combo to calculate Super PI 1M in just 6.875 seconds. This world record was achieved using the E8600 CPU clocked at the incredible 6562MHz (FSB 656MHz x 10 multi) with 1.968 volts! not the best imaginable core voltage for a 45nm processor. If you are interested at what today's technology is capable of doing, please head over the original thread at XtremeSystems.com.

Congrats team Italy!

Apparently NVIDIA has decided to give all Intel owners a big present by introducing the native support of its SLI technology for Intel Nehalem. This information was published first at The Tech Report by Scott Wasson, and comes directly from the final editors meeting of NVISION. According to Tom Peterson, director of Technical Marketing for MCP products at NVIDIA, the company will authorize native SLI support on Intel X58 motherboards without the need of its nForce 200 chip - under certain circumstances. Those circumstances actually include a certification process of every Intel X58 motherboard at NVIDIA's Santa Clara certification lab. Once in the lab, the boards must pass basic testing for functionality, slot placement, and other criterions. After that the makers of these boards must select from a menu of licensing options available to them. Afterward to be certified boards will also be required to display an "SLI Certified" logo on their boxes and other marketing materials. Once the above steps are completed without a problem, NVIDIA will provide the board maker with an approval "cookie" key that it must embed in the system BIOS. The combination of this approval key and an Intel X58 chipset will then unlock SLI support in NVIDIA's ForceWare driver software. The whole process of certification is reported to be cheaper than the cost of the nForce 200 chip alone, which is around US $30. That's the interesting part you need to know, now we wait. The full story is posted here.

Without doubt, Nehalem is what the computing world is raving about. Intel's next generation PC processors will arrive at stores sometime September thru October. Intel has put in a nice set of incentives to woo the enthusiast community, perhaps some of whom are sitting tight on US $3000 worth of CPUs in the form of dual QX9775 installations. Incentives include the Turbo Mode dynamic speed adjustment feature, projecting the processors as powerhouse chips that also have the potential for extreme computing or overclocking. NordicHardware captured such an installation which features a Core i7 Bloomfield processor seated on a ASUS P6T Deluxe motherboard with a liquid-nitrogen copper pot installed (a cooling device which consists of a copper cavity in contact with the CPU, in which liquid nitrogen is poured for rapid cooling). It's noted that the CPU temperatures plummeted to -120° C (or -184° F). It was noted that the Core i7 held on pretty well at those deep-space temperatures. There however, are no stability tests to back those observations as yet. Enjoy the pictures for now.For more pictures, visit this page.

Intel's upcoming Core i7 processors (codenamed Nehalem) will use the new X58 chipset and the ICH10-R Soutbhridge. DRR3 memory can be installed in six slots running DDR3-800, 1066 and 1333.

The board we took photos of is a protoype that's why you can see manual soldering and cabling on it.

With laptops, if mobility is what you seek for, and the convenience of working on the battery for longer, you would usually buy several spare batteries and keep one or two of them charged inside the laptop messenger bag. Imagine not having to hit the mains for 24 hours on a laptop, that's right, 24 hours. HP is making this possible with the Centrino 2 based EliteBook 6930p put on show at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) event. This laptop comes in two primary configurations, based on the Intel integrated graphics, or ones using discrete ATI graphics which understandably, come with lower battery life.

HP made this possible by providing you 6 hours of rated battery life on the stock battery, and expanded its life with the optional HP Ultra-Capacity battery takes its life up to 24 hours, a boon for people on long-flights, scientists on field work or even outdoor photographers, or even not having to charge up for days before it goes low and requires a charge. The machine put up at IDF for a MobileMark evaluation used Intel's upcoming Sold-State drives that draw a mere 0.15 W at load.

Without much pomp, Intel expanded its laptop processor lineup with new variants of the Core 2 Duo, the S-Series. These chips use the same small package Intel used in making processors for the Apple MacBook Air and similar compact deployments of the Core 2 Duo. These chips run run at clock speeds between 1.20 and 2.40 GHz. Nomenclature includes a "SP" and "SL" prefixes to a model number of 9400 for the top model and 9300 for the lower one. There's a "SU" prefix for low-cost variants with 3 MB L2 caches and 800 MHz FSB speeds.

The S-series chips and platform core-logic are about 60% smaller than their conventional counterparts, Intel confirms that their transit to the 45 nm silicon fabrication process has made it possible to reduce the package size and also reduce their energy footprint. Lenovo, it seems has already started using the SU 9300 or 9400 parts in its Thinkpad X301 slim form-factor laptops that are aimed to compete with Apple's MackBook air updates. The first picture shows (left to right) the processor, northbridge and southbridge. An extract from the product page shows its models.

Intel Corporation's chief technology officer took a fascinating look at how technology will bring man and machine much closer together by 2050.

Justin Rattner, during his keynote today at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, predicted big changes are ahead in social interactions, robotics and improvements in computer's ability to sense the real world. He said Intel's research labs are already looking at human-machine interfaces and examining future implications to computing with some promising changes coming much sooner than expected.

"The industry has taken much greater strides than anyone ever imagined 40 years ago," Rattner said. "There is speculation that we may be approaching an inflection point where the rate of technology advancements is accelerating at an exponential rate, and machines could even overtake humans in their ability to reason, in the not so distant future."

The first platform image of a reference motherboard based on the 1160-pin land grid array (LGA-1160) and its initial corresponding core-logic Ibex Peak has emerged, it was pictured at the Intel Developer Forum. The pictures show a company reference board with the LGA-1160 socket. A quick glance over the board shows its most significant feature, the core-logic (chipset) is now consolidated into a single chip instead of the traditional northbridge + southbridge design. The board features four DDR3 slots, the processors that make it this platform, namely Lynnfield and Havendale would sport dual-channel memory controllers. This board merely demonstrates the platform, it cannot be taken as Intel's final design at this point. Next to the DDR3 slots can be seen a SO-DIMM slot, that goes on to show that the very same platform could drive Nehalem's mobile platform.

Ryan "Opie" Shrout, live blogger for PC Perspective took these snaps of slides pertaining to the next generation Atom processor that were on display at IDF.

According to the first slide, the next generation of Atom CPU, codenamed Moorestown planned for 2009 ~ '10 could reduce the idle power draw by greater than 10 times that of its predecessor. Intel also seems to be working on getting rid of the core-logic (chipset) the current implementations of the Atom processor are based on, the i945, which not many in the computing world seem to have appreciated owing to its power-draw. The second slide talks about a newer Langwell processor and Lincroft chipset which have been presented in a size comparison. If that plan materializes, expect a x86 PC module to be smaller in size than your credit card, fit for deployment into much smaller portable devices.