Thermaltake Technology recently announced its TMG ND4, a water-cooling solution for Nvidia 8800GTX graphics cards.The ND4 waterblock removes heat from the graphics processing unit (GPU) and dissipates it through the Thermaltake TideWater (integrated radiator, reservoir, and mini pump). A silent LED fan equipped on the ND4 makes only 18dBA of noise, and the all copper waterblock and aluminum base dissipate heat from both GPU and memory of the graphics card. A special fan shroud concentrates the airflow and focuses the air towards hotspots for better cooling capability, noted Thermaltake.The TMG ND4 was adopted by Asus to bundle with its 8800GTX AquaTank VGA card. This combination of high-end liquid cooling graphics card was tested to be 11% faster than other 8800GTX cards and at least 12-degrees cooler, according to Thermaltake.The Thermaltake TMG ND4 cooler for Nvidia 8800GTX cardsPhoto: Company
Samsung Electronics has announced it has developed an all-DRAM stacked memory package using "through silicon via" (TSV) technology.The new wafer-level-processed stacked package (WSP) consists of four 512Mb DDR2 chips that offer a combined 2Gb of high density memory. Using the TSV-processed 2Gb DRAMs, Samsung can create a 4GB DIMM. In today's MCPs, memory chips are connected by wire bonding, requiring vertical and horizontal spacing between dies. By contrast, Samsung's WSP technology forms laser-cut micron-sized holes that penetrate the silicon vertically to connect the memory circuits directly with a copper filling, eliminating the need for gaps of extra space and wires protruding beyond the sides of the dies.These advantages permit Samsung's WSP to offer a significantly smaller footprint and thinner package. Inside the new WSP, the TSV is housed within an aluminum (Al) pad to escape the performance-slow-down effect caused by the redistribution layer.Chips are connected via "vias" instead of wire bondsPhoto: CompanySamsung said it could now offer 4GB DIMM via its new TSV technologyPhoto: Company
VIA Technologies has announced the VIA VT6047 Pico-ITX form factor reference design, a small full-featured x86 motherboard designed for ultra-compact embedded PC systems and appliances. The Pico-ITX form factor follows VIA's trend to platform miniaturization. The Mini-ITX form factor, at 17cm×17cm, and which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary as an industry standard, along with Nano-ITX, at 12cm×12cm, 50% of the size of the Mini-ITX were both pioneered by VIA. The Pico-ITX form factor measures 10cm×7.2cm and is also 50% smaller than its predecessor, Nano-ITX. The VIA VT6047 Pico-ITX motherboard was designed to be powered by one of VIA's energy efficient processor platforms, such as the VIA C7 or fanless VIA Eden processor in the 21mm×21mm nanoBGA2 package, combined with VIA system media processors to enable the board to deliver performance in small, low-heat, low-power packages VIA small form factor details Form factor Dimensions (cm) Mini-ITX 17×17 Nano-ITX 12×12 Pico-ITX 10×7.2 Source: VIA, compiled by Digitimes, April 2007 The VIA Pico-ITX form factor measures just 10cm×7.2cmPhoto: Company
Dell recently announced its Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120, a Linear Tape-Open drive storage device using the LTO-4 specification.LTO-4 is the first version to enable device-level encryption, according to Dell, noting that this is important given the portable nature of tape and that backup tapes are often stored at off-site locations. If lost or stolen, encryption would help prevent the data from being accessed.The Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120 offers a native capacity of 800GB and a 50% performance increase over the previous generation of drives. This allows customers to decrease backup windows by 33% and reduce the number of tape cartridges they are currently managing, according to Dell.Standardized LTO technology ensures customers have forward and backward compatibility as well as vendor neutrality. The LTO-4-120 is backward read and write compatible with the previous generation and backward read compatible with media from the prior two generations.Dell expects availability of the drives and media to by April 20 of this year. Pricing for the external standalone Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120 drive starts at about US$4,000. Media pricing begins at about US$200.Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120Photo: Company
High Tech Computer (HTC) has announced at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing that its new mobile computer, the HTC Shift, will be based on Intel's new Ultra Mobile Platform 2007. "With its revolutionary design, advanced wireless connectivity, and comprehensive software applications, the HTC Shift is strengthened by the power of Intel's innovative Ultra Mobile Platform 2007," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. Based on Intel Pentium M architecture with optimizations to significantly extend battery life within smaller form factors, the Intel Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 comprises the Intel A110 processor, Intel 945GU Express chipset, and Intel ICH7U I/O controller hub. The HTC Shift combines the power of Windows Vista with a QWERTY-based keyboard design and 3G connectivity. The HTC Shift provides all the power, functionality and connectivity busy professionals need in a sleek, portable design, claims HTC. The HTC Shift features high-speed global connectivity with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. Additionally, the HTC Shift leverages Windows Media Player 11 to provide access to music, videos and photos. HTC ShiftPhoto: Company
Intel detailed more than 20 new products, technology innovations and industry initiatives aimed at making the Internet, computers and consumer electronics devices much more responsive, friendlier and secure, at the ongoing Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Beijing.Intel executives at the IDF disclosed new performance details for the company's next-generation Penryn processor family. The company also unveiled two product roadmaps for Intel architecture (IA)-based System on Chip (SOC) consumer electronic (CE) devices and business uses.Patrick Gelsinger, senior vice president and co-general manager of Intel Corporation's Digital Enterprise Group provided performance indicators for Intel's upcoming Penryn family of processors. For desktop PCs, he said to expect increases of about 15% for imaging-related applications; 25% for 3-D rendering; more than 40% for gaming; and more than 40% faster video encoding with Intel SSE4 optimized video encoders. The indicators were based on pre-production 45nm Hi-k Intel quad core processor running at 3.33 GHz with a 1333 MHz front side bus (FSB) and 12MB cache versus an Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800 introduced last week at 2.93 GHz with 1066 FSB and 8MB cache.For high-performance computing (HPC) and workstation systems, Gelsinger said to expect gains up to an estimated 45% for bandwidth intensive applications and a 25% increase for servers using Java. These indicators were derived from pre-production 45nm Hi-k Intel Xeon processors with 1600 MHz front side bus for workstation and HPC, and a 1333 MHz front side bus for servers versus today's quad-core Intel Xeon X5355 processors.Gelsinger said that Intel has begun planning products based on a highly parallel, IA-based programmable architecture codenamed Larrabee. It will be easily programmable using many existing software tools, and designed to scale to trillions of floating point operations per second (Teraflops) of performance. The Larrabee architecture will include enhancements to accelerate applications such as scientific computing, recognition, mining, synthesis, visualization, financial analytics and health applications.The company also has plans for Intel QuickAssist Technology, a comprehensive initiative to optimize the use of accelerators in servers. Accelerators increase the performance of a single function, like security encryption or financial computation, while reducing power consumption. This initiative includes support for acceleration using IA-based multi-core processors and third party accelerators working together in Intel-based servers, and developing new integrated accelerators inside the IA-based processor itself.Gelsinger unveiled Tolapai plans, the first in what will be a family of enterprise-class system-on-chip (SoC) products that integrate several key system components into a single Intel architecture-based processor. The 2008 Tolapai product is expected to reduce the chip sizes by up to 45% and power consumption by approximately 20% compared to a standard four-chip design, while improving throughput performance and processor efficiency. Tolapai will include the new Intel QuickAssist Integrated Accelerator technology.Gelsinger also outlined product plans, including one for Intel's high-end multi-processor servers (codenamed Caneland). The quad- and dual-core Intel Xeon processor 7300 series will arrive in the third quarter in 80 and 50Wt versions for blades. The new servers will complete the company's transition to its Intel Core microarchitecture for Xeon processors. Sun Microsystems demonstrated its Solaris operating system running on an Intel Xeon 5100 series processor based system using Intel Dynamic Power technology, a new capability focused on reducing the power required for a memory subsystem.Further bolstering PC security and manageability benefits, Intel will introduce the next generation Intel vPro processor technology, codenamed Weybridge in the second half of the year and using the new Intel 3 series chipsets, formerly codenamed Bearlake.This will follow the launch of Intel Centrino Pro processor technology, bringing the business-centric features of vPro systems to notebooks for the first time.Finally, Microsoft demonstrated Windows Server code name Longhorn and two complementary technologies: Windows Server Core, and its new hypervisor-based virtualization solution, Windows Server virtualization, running on the Intel quad-core Xeon processors. The integrated platform combination, demonstrates running up to eight core virtual machines, delivering increased efficiency and uptime for IT managers.Also at IDF, Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group, said Intel is focused on developing products and technologies that provide consumers with greater control, choice, clarity and community, the 4C's, across computers and CE platforms spanning PCs, laptops, televisions, set-top-boxes and other networked media players.Kim detailed Intel's strategy to deliver a common, unified IA-based processor foundation across PC and CE platforms. He said the Intel CE 2110 Media Processor, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture for CE devices will help manufacturers accelerate time to market for smarter, more cost-effective designs that provide necessary performance, flexibility and headroom. Kim said the company will deliver its first CE-optimized IA-based SoC in 2008.Intel also plans to deliver a number of desktop computer products later this year, including updates to its Intel Viiv processor technology roadmap, and a new high-end enthusiast and gaming platform codenamed Skulltrail.Future generations of Intel Viiv processor technology will be based on the Intel 3 series chipsets arriving this quarter and delivering improved graphics support with features such as enhanced Intel Clear Video technology and hardware support for Microsoft DirectX10 for smoother high-definition playback and 3D visuals. Intel 3 series chipsets also boost system performance with a faster 1333 MHz front side bus and support for DDR3 memory, PCI Express 2.0 and Intel Turbo Memory for application acceleration and faster boot times.
Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) has announced collaboration with Intel to provide a family of 1.8-inch hard disk drive (HDD) solutions for the newest-generation ultra mobile PC (UMPC) and MID (mobile Internet device) platform architecture, which made its debut at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) 2007 Conference in Beijing, China.Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDDs provide the small footprint, high capacity, low power and ruggedness needed to deliver the UMPC experience using Intel's new Intel Ultra Mobile Platform 2007, according to Toshiba.Available in 30GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB and 100GB capacities, Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDDs deliver the storage capacity and responsiveness necessary to support the new platform's advanced computing capabilities while meeting the longer battery life, durability and small footprint requirements of the mobile environment.The Intel Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 represents a significant step in the creation of a new category of connected mobile devices that support the full range of PC functionality including a seamless Internet experience, location adaptability and anytime connectivity for wireless email, instant messenger chat and VoIP. "Toshiba's dedication to the advancement of 1.8-inch form factor storage solutions is realized in the new UMPC and MID platforms," said Robert DeLine, director of marketing of the Ultra Mobility Group at Intel. "These storage solutions, combined with Intel's high-performance, energy efficient processor and chipset, are well-suited for the demanding consumer." As the first company to successfully market the 1.8-inch HDD form factor, Toshiba cited IDC as indicating that it commands over a 75% market share in the category, and it has shipped more than 40 million 1.8-inch HDDs since introduction in 2000. "Toshiba's continued technology leadership in mobile HDDs has enabled us to offer a robust storage solution for Intel's next-generation UMPC and MID platforms," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "Storage is a key factor in propelling the UMPC platform forward."
Albatron Technology has announced three new Nvidia GeForce 8-series GPU-based cards, the 8600GTS, 8600GT and 8500GT, which target the larger mainstream gaming market. Since the launch of the high-end 8800GTX GPU in November 2006, users who been waiting a long time to get their hands on an affordable DirectX 10 (DX10) supporting card, said the company. In addition to DX10 which will allow support for improved visuals and effects in the latest games, the new cards feature PureVideo HD technology which delivers clarity, smooth video, and precise image scaling for all movies and videos. It also supports H.264, VC-1, WMV and MPEG 2 decoding and is able to offload 100% of Blu-Ray and HD DVD playback, leaving the CPU free to perform other tasks and reduce power consumption. The 8600GTS and 8600GT cards come with dual DVI connectors, while the 8500GT comes with one DVI and one D-Sub connector. All three cards provide TV-Out and support SLI technology. Albatron 8600GTS, 8600GT and 8500GT: Specifications Card GPU Core Clock Memory Type Memory On-board 8600GTS GeForce 8600GTS 675MHz DDR3 2000MHz 128-bit 256 MB 8600GT GeForce 8600GT 540MHz DDR3 1400MHz 128-bit 256 MB 8500GT GeForce 8500GT 450MHz DDR2 800MHz 128-bit 256 MB Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes, April 2007Albatron 8600GTSPhoto: CompanyAlbatron 8600GTPhoto: CompanyAlbatron 8500GTPhoto: Company
Micron Technology today introduced its new Aspen DDR2 memory family of energy-efficient products, featuring the low-voltage (LV) DDR2 in reduced chip count (RCC) memory modules. The new Aspen is designed to lower server power consumption. The memory is available for OEM customers now. Mass production is slated for the fourth quarter of 2007.The DDR2 components that are used in servers today typically operate at 1.8 volts but Aspen only requires 1.5 volts. Additionally, by upgrading to Micron's new 1Gb-based RCC modules from 512Mb-based modules, memory power can be reduced even further, providing a total savings of up to 50%, the company stressed. According to a recent study conducted by Jonathan Koomey with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) and funded by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), enterprise data center servers, such as the mega-computers that power the Internet or those used to house financial institution customer data, consumed 123 billion kilowatt-hours worldwide in 2005. That includes the overhead for power delivery and cooling of the servers. Based on Koomey's analysis, Micron estimates the portion attributed to the memory to be 25 billion kilowatt-hours. By implementing Micron's new Aspen memory modules, data centers could reduce system memory power consumption by approximately 24%, which is a reduction of six billion kilowatt-hours. Based on today's typical energy rates, this reduction could result in total annual savings of US$300 million. To better illustrate the point, these savings would be equivalent to the electricity used annually by about 500,000 households.
SiS announced that the first SiSM671-based notebook PC, the Clevo M721S/M720S, has been introduced to the market. The new notebook was co-developed by SiS and Clevo, and is designed to be compatible with the Windows Vista operating system (OS), according to SiS.The Clevo M721S/M720S features a 12.1-inch LCD monitor and supports high-speed UMTS/HSDPA network connections. The notebook is also equipped with fingerprint detection technology to ensure the security of information.The Clevo M721S/M720S supports Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium 4 and Pentium D processors. It also supports DDR2 667/533 memory up to 4GB and has an embedded SiS Mirage 3 graphics engine, which supports DirectX 9.0 and is capable of providing smooth animation in 2D and 3D with Vertex Shader 2.0 and Pixel Shader 2.0 technology. Clevo M721S and M720S notebook specifications Item M721S M720S CPUs supported Core 2 Duo, Pentium 4, Pentium D processor Memory DDR2 667/533 up to 4GB Graphics Mirage 3 graphics engine Northbridge SiSM671 Southbridge SiS968 Color White Silver Sources: Companies, compiled by DigiTimes, April 2007Clevo M721S and M720S notebooks Photo: CompanySiS M671 chipsetPhoto: Company
