Apple on August 21 unveiled its new 20- and 24-inch series iMac desktop PCs in Taiwan, with availability of the new iMacs to start in the Taiwan market by the end of this month, according to sources at Apple Taiwan.To boost the sale of iMacs, the new models will be available at more competitive prices than their predecessors, with the 20- and 24-in iMacs carrying a suggested retail price of NT$42,900 (US$1,304) and NT$1,972, down 20% and 10%, respectively, from previous models with the same display sizes, the sources noted.All new iMacs come with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, pre-installed iLife 08 and iWork 08 application software, and specially-designed ultra-thin aluminum keyboards, according to company data.Sales of iMac-series desktops grew in a range of 28-36% on year during the period from the third quarter of 2006 to the second quarter of 2007, higher than the industry average of 9-13% during the same period, the sources noted.Apple's new iMac desktop PCPhoto: Yen-ting Chen, Digitimes

Transcend Information unveiled its aXeRam overclocking memory line up which use premium chips. Designed with gamers and power users in mind, aXeRam delivers superior overclocking performance while maintaining system stability, according to Transcend.Transcend's first aXeRam product is the 2GB 240-pin DDR2-800 aXeRam dual-channel overclocking kit. The kit includes a matching pair of high-speed, pre-tested 1GB DDR2-800 modules with high-quality heat sinks. Transcend's DDR2-800 aXeRam dual-channel 2GB overclocking kit uses six-layer PCBs that fully comply with JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) standards. The 240-pin DIMMs included in the kit are each made of 16 high-quality 64Mx8 DDR2 FBGA chips. Each chip is selected with the strictest quality standards and is manufactured using small FBGA packages to assure better thermal dissipation, electrical efficiency and overall improved performance for overclockers.Transcend's 2GB DDR2-800 aXeRam dual-channel overclocking kit's two identically matching modules are specifically designed for use in dual-channel configuration, which provides memory bandwidth of up to 12.8GB/s, according to Transcend. Enthusiasts will appreciate the included custom high-purity aluminum heat sinks' distinctive styling and superior heat diffusion characteristics.To deliver higher performance while maintaining stable operating conditions, Transcend's aXeRam 2GB DDR2-800 dual-channel overclocking kit operates at CL4 at the standard 1.8V voltage without the need for over voltage. The lower latency equates to shortened system delay times and faster read/write speeds. Compared to ordinary DDR2-800 CL5 modules, system performance gains of up to 10% are possible with true CL4 memory, according to Transcend.Transcend's 2GB DDR2-800 aXeRam dual-channel overclocking kit is now available on the market for a suggested retail price of NT$3,560, according to the company.Transcend's 1GB 240-pin DDR2-800 aXeRam dual-channel overclocking memory modulePhoto: Company

Leadtek Research launched its WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent entry-level graphics card. The new card, with a passive heatsink design and dual-link DVI-I output, supports a resolution of up to 2560×1600 at 32-bit, according to the company.Based on new 80nm technology and powered by a Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS graphics processing unit, the WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent comes with 256MB of video memory, DDR2 and a GPU/ Shader clock with memory of 459/900 MHz.The WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent features Nvidia PureVideo HD technology to provide smooth video, accurate color, and lifelike image scaling for movies and videos. It also enables playback of HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc and other protected content at full HD resolutions with integrated High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) support.The WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent has a suggested retail price of US$70, according to the company. Leadtek WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent graphics card specifications Item Details Graphic bus PCI Express GPU Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS GPU clock 459MHz Memory data rate 800/667MHz Shader clock 900MHz Memory size 256MB GDDR2 Memory interface 64 bit RAMDACs Dual 400MHz Stream processors 8 DirectX support DirectX 10.0 shader model 4.0 Output dual-link DVI-I, D-Sub, HDTV Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007Leadtek WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent graphics cardPhoto: Company

VIA Technologies announced its VIA pc3500 motherboard, a low-power platform that enables OEMs and system integrators (SI) to build desktop PCs that draw less than 24W in an idle state.The pc3500 motherboard draws only 1.09W in sleep mode, and 0.68W in standby (off mode). The system even draws less than 35W when playing back a DVD, according to VIA.The pc3500 is based on the VIA CN896 digital media IGP chipset, certified by Microsoft for Windows Vista Basic and featuring the VIA Chrome9 HC IGP with a DirectX 9.0 3D accelerator for high performance, a 2D accelerator for productivity applications, and the Chromotion 3.0 video display engine for advanced hardware-based video processing. Combined with the power efficient VIA C7-D processor supporting the 400MHz VIA V4 bus, the VIA pc3500 motherboard delivers an average power consumption of less than 25W. The pc3500 motherboard features two DDR2 DIMM slots, supporting up to 2GB 400/533/667MHz memory, and provides additional expansion flexibility with its PCI Express x16 slot and PCI slot. The board also comes with a full set of connectivity features, including four USB 2.0 ports, two SATA II/PATA connectors, 10/100 Ethernet, and eight channel onboard audio. Additional options include support for Gigabit Ethernet and S-Video and S/PDIF audio.The pc3500 motherboard is available globally with the pricing information available upon request, noted the company. VIA pc3500 motherboard specifications Item Detail Form factor Micro-ATX, 190.5×228.6mm Processor 1.5/1.8 GHz VIA C7-D processor with 400/800MHz V4 bus Chipset Northbridge: VIA CN896 Southbridge: VIA 8237A or VT8237S (supports SATA II) Memory DDR2 400/533/667MHz memory up to 2GB, two DIMM slot s VGA Integrated VIA Chrome9 HC Graphics core engine Expansion slots One PCI Express x16 slot and one PCI slot Onboard audio Realtek ALC883 HD audio eight channel Codec Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007VIA pc3500 motherboardPhoto: Company

ASRock has announced its first Intel 3 series motherboard, the ASRock 4Core1333-eSATA2 based on the P31 plus ICH7R chipset combination.The motherboard supports Intel Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual Core and Celeron 400 series processors. It also supports DDR2 800 memory, AMD CrossFire technology, PCI Express Gigabit LAN and IEEE1394.The motherboard is ready for upcoming 45nm processors, according to the company. ASRock 4Core1333-eSATA2 motherboard specification Item Details CPU support Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Extreme / Core 2 Duo / Pentium XE / Pentium D / Pentium Dual Core / Pentium 4 / Celeron / Celeron D Chipsets Northbridge: Intel P31 Southbridge: ICH7R Memory support Dual -channel DDR2 800/667/533 memory up to 4GB with four DIMM slots VGA One PCI Express x16 and AMD CrossFire support LAN Gigabit LAN Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007ASRock 4Core1333-eSATA2 motherboardPhoto: Company

Biostar Microtech International has claimed that its Biostar Sigma-Gate VR8603TS21 graphics card with V-Ranger software helped CornerJack, a France-based overclocker, break the 3Dmark06 world record for the GeForce 8600GTS.The overclocker was able to overclock to respectable core 1023MHz and 2320 MHz memory clocks with V-Ranger technology, which makes it possible to modify the voltage of the memory and graphics processing unit (GPU) in real time. The utility is available on a wide range of Sigma-Gate cards including the VR8603TS21, VR8602GT21, VR8502GT21, V7602GS21 and V7303GT, according to Biostar. Biostar Sigma-Gate VR8603TS21 graphics card specification Item Details Interface PCI Express x16 Memory type DDR3 Memory size 256MB Engine clock 540MHz Memory clock 1400MHz Memory bus 128-bit RAMDACs 400MHz Max resolution 2560 X 1600 Output S-Video, DVI and D-Sub Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007Biostar Sigma-Gate VR8603TS21 graphics cardPhoto: Company

GeCube launched its HD 2000 V-Fins series graphics cards, the GC-VX26PG2-D3 and GC-VHD24PL2-D3. V-Fins series graphics cards have an exclusively designed V-shaped heat sink pair with an air-vent bracket to speed up the natural airflow and lower the graphics chip temperature, according to GeCube.The V-Fins series graphics cards support UVD (universal video decoder) technology and 1080p/1080i resolutions and Blu-ray and HD-DVD playback, noted the company. GeCube V-Fins Series graphics cards specifications Product Name GC-VX26PG2-D3 GC-VHD24PL2-D3 Chip RV630PRO (65nm) RV610LE (65nm) Core/Memory frequency 600MHz/800MHz 525MHz/800MHz Unified shader Yes Yes Shader model 4.0 4.0 Direct X 10.0 10.0 Memory bus 128-bit 64-bit Memory type DDR2, 256MB DDR2, 256MB (HyperMemory to 1G) Interface PCI Express x16 PCI Express x16 TV-Out S/HDTV-out S/HDTV-out (thru extensive S-video cable) DVI Dual DVI (2 Dual Link, HDCP) DVI (Dual Link, HDCP) D-Sub Yes (by dongle) Yes (thru cable) Integrated audio Multi-channel audio(5.1 surround) by DVI to HDMI dongle (optional) Multi-channel audio(5.1 surround) Native HDMI support HDTV HDTV by S to YPbPr cable (Optional) HDTV by S to YPbPr cable (Optional) Cooling Dual slot V-Fin heatsink Dual slot V-Fin heatsink Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007GeCube GC-VHD24PL2-D3 graphics card with V-Fin heatsinkPhoto: CompanyGeCube GC-VX26PG2-D3 graphics card with V-Fin heatsinkPhoto: Company

Hannspree, an affiliate of HannStar Display, recently introduced three new Xm-S series LCD monitors, HANNS Boston and HANNS New York, and HANNS glaze in the Taiwan market.HANNS Boston and HANNS New York, two 19-inch widescreen LCD monitors are now available in the Taiwan market with price tags of NT$6,690 (US$202) and NT$6,490, respectively, according to the company.The HANNS glaze 19-inch monitor will hit the market later in October but the company has not yet determined pricing, noted Hannspree.In related news, a recent Chinese-language Commercial Times report, quoting a survey from DisplaySearch, said that Hannspree shipped about 89,500 LCD TVs in the first quarter of 2007, ranking twenty-third worldwide while the brand also grabbed eighth place in the Asian LCD TV market during the period. The paper also indicated that nearly 50% of its LCD TVs are shipping to Europe. Hannspree new 19-inch LCD monitors specification Product name HANNS glaze HANNS Boston HANNS New York Screen size (inch) 19 19 (widescreen) 19 (widescreen) Resolution 1,280 × 1,024 1,440 × 900 1,440 × 900 Brightness 300 cd/m2 300 cd/m2 300 cd/m2 Contrast ratio 1,000:1 700:1 700:1 Response time 2ms 5ms 5ms Viewing angle (H/V) 170/160 150/140 150/140 Pricing (NT$) - 6,690 6,490 Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007HANNSpree Boston Photo: Company HANNSpree New York Photo: Company

ASRock recently launched its 2Core1333-2.66G and 2Core1333DVI-2.66G motherboards bundled with Intel dual-core processors that support a 1333MHz FSB (front side bus) and 2.6GHz overclocked core frequency, according to sources at ASRock.The two motherboards adopt the Intel 945GC A2 chipset, which features support for Intel dual-core Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Duo, Pentium D, Pentium Dual Core, Pentium 4, Celeron and Celeron D processors and supports a FSB of up to 1333MHz (Intel officially only supports up to 800MHz), and dual-channel DDR2 memory up to 4GB and an integrated Intel GMA950 graphics engine, noted the sources.The ASRock 2Core1333DVI-2.66G will be bundled with a DVI Graphics-HDCP card for DVI output. ASRock motherboards bundled with Intel CPU specifications Model 2Core1333-2.66G 2Core1333DVI-2.66G CPU support Bundled with selected dual-core CPUs operating at FSB1333 / 2.66GHz Supports Intel dual-core Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Duo, Pentium D, Pentium Dual Core, Pentium 4, Celeron and Celeron D processor with FSB up to 1333MHz Memory Dual-channel DDR2 memory up to 4GB 4 DIMM slots Dual-channel DDR2 memory up to 4GB 2 DIMM slots Chipsets Northbridge: Intel 945GC A2 Southbridge: ICH7 VGA Intel integrated GMA950 graphics engine Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007ASRock 2Core1333DVI-2.66G bundled with Intel CPUPhoto: CompanyASRock 2Core1333-2.66G bundled with Intel CPUPhoto: Company

Thermaltake Technology recently announced its 3.5-inch Max4 SATA HDD rack, which can be easily installed in any 5.25-inch drive bay and supports all of today's mainstream SATA hard disks with a transmission speed of up to 3Gb/s.Patented designed connectors reduce poor attachments from the HDD to the SATA interface, thereby increasing the life of the interface disconnect/removal up to 50,000 times. The smart ejection mechanism on the rack provides gentle and smooth insertion and ejection of hard drives, according to Thermaltake.Front panel ventilation holes on the Max4 SATA HDD rack are designed to maximize the lifespan of the HDD by keeping it cool, even in a state of continuous use, stated Thermaltake. The design and surface of the Max4 HDD rack compliments any color computer chassis, noted the company, adding that the fan-less design reduces noise and LEDs display status and power information of the rack. The HDD rack also has an anti-theft lock allowing for safe storage and security, stated Thermaltake. Thermaltake 3.5-inch Max4 SATA HDD rack specifications Item Details Product number N0023SN Case type 3.5" SATA HDD Weight 470g Dimension 42×149×184mm�@ Material Stainless and plastic Interface SATA to SATA SATA compatibility SATA-II, SATA-I Transfer rate 3Gb/s Power source 4 pin Molex power connector Accessories SATA and power management cable Security keys Screws Manual Source: Thermaltake, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007Thermaltake 3.5-inch SATA HDD rackPhoto: Company