In order to meet the demands of providing high performance and flexible business options, Asustek Computer has launched its latest TS500-E5 tower server, a solution for businesses that require mission critical applications.The TS500-E5 can support up to four hard drives by default, but the company has added an optional hard disk expansion kit to allow the server to support up to eight.The TS500-E5 adopts two 45nm processors to deliver high performance and power manageability and up to 24GB DDR2 memory, Asustek said, and with the optional SAS upgrade kit, PIKE, the TS500-E5 is able to support a range of RAID functions.A TS500-E5/RX8 model also supports dual 650W power supplies for redundant functionality. Asustek TS500-E5 tower server specifications Item Detail Processor / System Bus 2 × Socket LGA771 Quad-core Intel Xeon 5400 Series (45nm) Dual-core Intel Xeon 5200 Series (45nm) Quad-core Intel Xeon 5300 Series Dual-core Intel Xeon 5100 Series Core Logic Intel 5100 Memory Controller Hub (MCH) Intel ICH9R Memory 6 slot DDR2 667 memory support up to 24GB Graphics XGI Z9S VGA controller / 32MB DDR2 SDRAM Dimensions 450mm (H) × 212mm (W) × 550mm (D) Power Supply 670W single power supply Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, July 2008Asustek TS500-E5 tower server Photo: Company

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is pushing two Centrino 2 notebooks in Taiwan's high-end market, the HP Pavilion DV4 and DV5, both manufactured by Compal Electronics.The HP Pavilion DV4 features a 14.1-inch display, Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 or T9400 processor and Nvidia GeForce Go 9600 graphics card. Prices start at NT$44,900 (US$1479.33) for the P8600 CPU or NT$49,900 for the T9400.The HP Pavilion DV5 includes a 15.4-inch display, Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 or P8600 processor, and GeForce Go 9200M-GS graphics. Prices start at NT$42,900 for P8400 models and NT$45,900 for P8600.Currently, HP is not carrying an overstock of Santa Rosa platform inventory, and can therefore push the new Centrino 2 notebooks.HP Pavilion DV4 notebook adopts Centrino 2 platformPhoto: Company

MSI has launched the GX620 a Centrino 2-based notebook with the company's exclusive Turbo Drive Engine technology to enhance the speed of CPU.The GX620 includes the new ECO Engine power saving technology to extend battery running time. The ECO quick launch touch sensor allows consumers to switch among five different modes including Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office, and Turbo Battery.GX620 features a 15.4-inch LCD display, Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT 3D graphics card and MSI's exclusive vivid image enhancement technology. GX620 also features Digital/Analog 5.1 Channel headphone output and SPDIF connection.The GX620 features Intel Centrino 2 processor technology, including Core 2 Duo processor and PM45 Express chipset, to deliver mobile solutions and provide HD capabilities, wireless connectivity, and long battery life for Blu-ray movie playback, highlighted MSI. MSI GX620 notebook specifications Item Detail CPU Intel Core 2 Duo processor Chipset Intel PM45 LCD 15.4-inch TFT-LCD display VGA Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT 3D graphics card with GDDR3 256MB memory Memory Two SO-DIMM slots to support DDR2 667/800MHz memory up to 4GB Webcam 2-megapixel Webcam Battery 6 / 9 Cells Power 90W Physical characteristics 358×260×27-31mm and 2.7kg (W/ Battery) Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, July 2007MSI GX620 notebookSource: Company

Portwell has announced its PCS-8230 car PC infotainment system, utilizing Intel's Embedded Compact Extended (ECX) form factor single board computer (SBC).The PCS-8230 is based on the Intel's Atom Z510 processor and US15W chipset. The product's fanless design, low power output and compact size make it an ideal choice for in-vehicle infotainment as well as POS, medical healthcare, kiosk, entry-level gaming and digital signage applications, according to the company.The PCS-8230 provides low power consumption with a 6-24V wide DC power input.The PCS-8230 adopts a fanless design in a case measuring 180×192.2×50mm. The system also features DVB-T reception support, FM tuner, Wi-Fi, two USB ports, and one integrated SDIO socket. Support for dual-display (VGA and LVDS), standard multimedia audio and video functions are included, as well as an optional USB-Disk Module (UDM).Portwell PCS-8230 car PC infotainment systemPhoto: Company

Elpida Memory announced today that it has developed a power-efficient DDR3 SDRAM in 1Gb densities, which is capable of operating at a speed of 2Gbps.Elpida's new DDR3 SDRAM is based on a 65nm process technology. Sample shipments will start in September 2008 with mass production expected to begin in October.Currently, the industry's fastest standard DDR3-1600 supports a data transfer rate of up to 1600Mbps while operating at 1.5V. The new DDR3 SDRAM developed by Elpida uses 35% less operating current compared with the company's existing products and can support an operating speed of 2Gbps, which is considerably faster than the industry standard of 1600Mbps at 1.5V. Also, in response to demand for next-generation low-power products Elpida's new device can operate at 1600Mbps using 1.35V. Elpida: New DDR3 Items Details Part number EDJ1104BBSE, EDJ1108BBSE, EDJ1116BBSE Data transfer rates DDR3-2000 (11-11-11), DDR3-1867 (11-11-11), DDR3-1600 (9-9-9) Design process 65nm Supply voltage 1.5V+/-0.075V Packages 78-ball FBGA (x4/x8), 96-ball FBGA (x16) (8.00mm x 13.50mm) Source: CompanyDDR3-1867 from ElpidaPhoto: Company

Leadtek Research has announced the launch of its latest PCI Express (PCIe) TV tuner card, the WinFast PxDTV1300 T, supporting DVB-T TV and HDTV H.264 reception. The card comes bundled with the company's exclusive WinFast PVR2 software.The WinFast PVR2 software allows the card to perform functions including Live Broadcasting, Time Shifting, and TwinView, that are simplified and put into a two-layer menu with a user friendly interface, highlighted the company.Leadtek WinFast PxDTV1300 T TV tuner cardPhoto: Company

Albatron Technology has unveiled three new Nvidia GeForce 8-series graphics cards that use the practically outdated PCI slot. While the appeal of the PCI8600GT-256X, the PCI8500GT-256X and the PCI8400GS-256 may not be obvious for anyone who has a PCI Express or even AGP slot on their motherboard, there are still quite a few systems (particularly small form factor or HTPC ones) where expansion options are limited, creating an niche market for these cards.The graphics cards are all low profile designs allowing them to fit in smaller cases such as HTPC design that try to match the form factor of tradition consumer electronics devices.Of the three versions, the PCI8600GT and PCI8500GT models adopt faster DDR3 memory and also feature HDMI connectors for higher quality output, highlighted the Albatron.Albatron PCI port-based GeForce 8-series graphics cardPhoto: Company

Samsung Electronics announced that it has begun mass producing 1.8- and 2.5-inch multi-level cell (MLC)-based solid state drives (SSD) with a 128GB storage capacity. Mass production of the Samsung MLC-based 64GB SSD also began in July.The MLC-based SSD has a write speed of 70MB/s and a read speed of 90MB/s – performance levels that approach those of single-level-cell (SLC)-based SSDs now in mass production. Moreover, the new 128GB SSD will last approximately 20 times longer than the generally accepted 4-5 year life span of a notebook PC hard drive. The company also noted that power consumption for its SSDs is low in standby mode at approximately 0.2 watts and in active mode at 0.5 watts.Featuring a 3Gb/s interface, the 128GB MLC-based SSD consists of 64 MLC NAND flash memory chips of 16Gb each, single-chip controller technology and flash-management firmware technology. Enclosed in a brushed metallic casing, it measures 100mm x 69.8mm and is only 9.5mm thick.Samsung is aggressively expanding its SSD market offerings. It introduced a 64GB SSD in the second half of 2007, and plans to begin producing a 256GB at the end of this year. Samsung expects sales of SSD units to increase 800 percent between now and 2010, keeping SSDs on pace to be the largest growth segment in the NAND flash market over the next few years.

Acer America has announced the Acer Aspire X1200, a compact entertainment center with prices beginning at US$450.Offering powerful desktop components and expansion capabilities in a small box, the Acer Aspire X1200 desktop enables users to enjoy high-definition movies, games and theater-like sound while maximizing space in the home, said the company. Featuring AMD dual-core processors, Nvidia GeForce 8200 onboard graphics and PCI Express (PCIe) 2.0, it is ideal for entertainment enthusiasts and space-conscious consumers desiring phenomenal performance in an environmentally-friendly design, according to Acer.Providing room for expansion, the system offers two PCIe slots (x1 and x16) and for easy access and reach, five USB 2.0 ports, a multi-in-1 card reader, IEEE 1394 port and audio jacks are located on the front of the PC, the company highlighted. Four additional USB 2.0 ports are positioned at the back.Unlike similar small form factor (SFF) PCs that leverage mobile components with higher costs and lower performance, the Aspire X1200 offers a choice of models that scale up to an AMD Athlon X2 5000 processor and up to 4GB DDR2 memory. The AMD processors support downloadable AMD Live! applications for recording, transferring, sharing and organizing photos, videos and music. Acer Aspire X1200 specifications Model X1200-U1520A X1200-U1510A X1200-B1581A Price US$449.99 US$459.99 US$699.99 CPU AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core 4850e AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core 5000+ AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core 4850e VGA Nvidia GeForce 8200 Nvidia GeForce 8200 NvidiaGeForce 8200 Memory 4GB DDR2 4GB DDR2 4GB DDR2 Hard drive 320GB SATA 320GB SATA 320GB SATA Display None None 22-inch widescreen LCD display Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, July 2008Acer Aspire X1200Photo: Company

OCZ Technology Group has announced DDR3 SODIMM modules as its next generation notebook memory to support the impending Intel Centrino 2 mobile platform, with the modules targeting advanced gaming and professional systems.The benefits of DDR3 memory now extends beyond desktop systems to laptops, offering increased frequencies at lower voltage requirements. OCZ's PC3-8500 and PC3-10666 SODIMM kits support enthusiast-grade performance. Early-adopting gamers and professionals will benefit from the more productive computing experience that the combination of the new Centrino 2 technology and OCZ DDR3 modules can provide."The Centrino 2 platform is a logical extension of Intel's efforts spearheading DDR3 acceptance in the enthusiast segment in the desktop sector," commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. "From a technical standpoint, DDR3 memory technology is far superior to DDR2, from the higher frequency range resulting in better overall system performance to the energy savings at idle stemming from loss-less termination to the supply-voltage level and resulting in paramount energy savings in the typical notebook usage pattern."OCZ DDR3 notebook modulesPhoto: Company, July 2008