Albatron Technology has unveiled three new Nvidia GeForce 8-series graphics cards that use the practically outdated PCI slot.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

AMD has released the Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition quad-core processor featuring Clock Multiplier Control. Combined with AMD OverDrive software, the latest Black Edition processor enables customizable platform performance and tunability, highlighted AMD. Additionally, for energy-conscious users, the energy-efficient AMD Phenom X4 9350e and AMD Phenom X4 9150e processors, which consume no more than 65W, are now available.AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition features a core frequency of 2.6GHz and will be available priced at US$235. The AMD Phenom X4 9350e clocked at 2GHz will be priced US$195 and the AMD Phenom X4 9150e at 1.8GHz will cost US$175.

Leadtek Research has announced the launch of its latest hybrid TV capture card, the WinFast ExDTV2300 H which supports the ExpressCard interface.WinFast ExDTV2300 H supports DVB-T and worldwide analog TV reception, including NTSC, SECAM and PAL standards, and allows full screen stereo/SAP support. The card also allows consumers to choose from formats including MPEG-4/2/1/WMV/VCD/DVD/SVCD for recording. Equipped with a 10-pin connector that supports component video input up to 480p, the card can capture video from cameras/camcorders/VCR/DVD players or even games consoles.Included WinFast PVR2 software provides Time Shifting, Scheduled Recording, Power on/off by Remote, and TwinView.Leadtek WinFast ExDTV2300 H TV capture cardPhoto: Company

Ibase Technology has announced its MB935 motherboard, an Intel Q35 Express chipset-based networking platform supporting Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors and has six Gigabit Ethernet ports, delivering high performance while enabling low-power and quieter systems in network service applications, according to the company.Adopting the Intel Q35 Express chipset, the MB935 supports LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad or Core 2 Duo processors with core frequencies up to 4GHz and FSB up to 1333MHz. The motherboard also supports four DDR2 667/800 DIMM modules and six Intel 82574L network controllers and four SATA connectors onboard.Additional expansion is available to support two to four PCI slots with the IP325 backplane bridge board. Other features include four USB 2.0 ports, four COM ports, and a watchdog timer. Ibase MB935 motherboard specifications Item Detail CPU Supports Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Duo / Celeron 400 sequence processors FSB 800MHz/1066MHz/1333MHz Memory 4x DDR2 DIMM support up to 8GB LAN 6x Intel GbE LAN, LAN1/LAN2 Bypass VGA Integrated VGA, CRT support Ports 4x SATA, 4x COM, 4x USB 2.0, 1x IDE, 1x CF socket and 1x PCI32 interface for backplane Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, June 2008Ibase MB935 motherboard Photo: Company

VIA Technologies has announced the VIA Epia P700 Pico-ITX motherboard that couples several features within a streamlined, ultra compact footprint designed for low profile systems, with extended I/O port options through two companion boards.The board featuring native SATA 3Gb/s support, Gigabit LAN, and support for GPIO, SM bus and LPC devices, and measuring 10×7.2cm is based on the VIA VX700 unified digital media IGP chipset and is powered by a 1GHz VIA C7 or fanless 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor. An integrated power adapter coupled with the 5V S-SATA power cable negates the need for a separately powered daughterboard, saving considerable space for ultra compact systems.The VIA Epia P700 also features two companion boards – the P700-A board features an RJ45 port, a VGA port and a COM port, while the P700-B sports four USB ports and three audio jacks for multi-channel surround sound. The two companion boards fit seamlessly with the linear pin-headers on either side of the VIA Epia P700 to enable ultra low profile devices. VIA EPIA-P700 Pico-ITX motherboard specifications Item Detail Model Name VIA EPIA-P700-10L VIA EPIA-P700-05LE Processor 1.0GHz VIA C7 processor 500MHz VIA fanless Eden ULV processor Chipset VIA VX700 Unified Digital Media IGP chipset System Memory 1 x DDR2 533/667 SO-DIMM socket, Up to 1GB memory size VGA Integrated VIA UniChrome Pro II 3D/2D AGP graphics Onboard IDE 1 x UltraDMA 133/100 Pin Connectors with 2.0mm 44-pin right-angle type Onboard Serial ATA 1 x SATA connector 1 x SATA power connector (5V) Onboard LAN 1 x VIA VT6122 Gigabit LAN controller (a connector board is required or 1 x VIA VT6107 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet controller (manufacturing option) Onboard Audio VIA VT1708B High Definition Audio Codec Onboard I/O Connectors 1 x LAN pin header 1 x CRT/DVI pin header 1 x COM Port pin header 1 x CPU Fan pin connector 1 x Audio pin connector for Line-out, Line-in, MIC-in 1 x Front panel pin header 4 x USB 2.0 ports pin header 1 x PS2 mouse/keyboard pin header 1 x LVDS pin connector 1 x LPC/SM Bus/GPIO pin header 1 x +12V DC-In 2-pin jack with lock Operating System Windows XP, Linux, Win CE, XPe Form Factor Pico-ITX (10-layer) 10 cm x 7.2 cm Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, June 2008VIA EPIA-P700 Pico-ITX motherboard Photo: Company

Fuji Xerox on June 26 unveiled three high-end printers, the color laser A3 DocuPrint C2255, color laser A4 Phaser 8560DN and monochrome MFP Phaser 3200MFP, for immediate launch in the Taiwan market at recommended retail prices of NT$89,900 (US$2,952), NT$54,900 and NT$17,900, according to the Taiwan branch of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific.Fuji Xerox expects its 2008 sales volume of printers in Taiwan to grow by 30% from 2007, to become one of the top-three vendors, the branch indicated.Fuji Xerox Phaser 3200MFPPhoto: Company

MSI and GeCube have unveiled ATI Radeon HD 4870-series graphics cards.ATI Radeon HD 4870 series graphics cards integrate ATI's PowerPlay power-saving technology and UVD 2.0 video decoder core.ATI Radeon HD 4870 is the industry's first graphics card that comes with the GDDR5 memory, which can operate under lower voltages while still provide high frequencies compared with GDDR3 memory. GDDR5 memory also features 256-bit memory interface to provide a higher memory bandwidth. MSI: R4870-T2D512 specifications Item Detail Graphics Engine ATI Radeon HD 4870 Bus Standard PCI Express x16 2.0 Memory Type GDDR5 Memory Size(MB) 512 Memory Interface 256-bit Core Clock Speed(MHz) 750 Memory Clock Speed(MHz) 1800 Memory Bandwidth(GB/sec) N/A Texture Fill Rate(billion/sec) N/A DVI Output 2 D-SUB Output 1(via DVI to D-Sub adaptor) TV-Output 1(via S-Video to Composite) HDMI-Output 1(via DVI to HDMI adaptor) VIVO(Video-in/out) N/A HDTV Support Y HDCP Support Y HDMI Support Y Dual-link DVI Y Display Ouput(Max Resolution) 2560×1600 RAMDACs 400 DirectX Version Support 10.1 OpenGL Version Support 2.1 CorssFire Support Y Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, June 2008 GeCube: GC-HD487XTG5-E3 specifications Item Detail ASIC RV770XT (55nm) Core/Memory 750MHz/3.6GHz Unified shader Yes Shader Model 4.1 DirectX 10.1 Memory Bus 256-bit Memory Type GDDR5, 512MB Video Processing Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD) Interface PCI Express 2.0 TV-Out S/HDTV-out DVI Dual DVI (Dual-ink, HDCP) D-Sub Yes (by Dongle) Built-in HDMI Yes (by DVI to HDMI dongle) HDTV HDTV by S to YPbPr cable (default included) Multi-VPU Support Native ATI CrossFireX Support Cooling Dual Slot Fansink Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, June 2008MSI R4870-T2D512Photo: CompanyGeCube GC-HD487XTG5-E3Photo: Company