Thread: Anandtech News

Ever wanted a 1600W 80 PLUS Silver power supply? Rosewill will sell you one with 16 6+2 PCIe connectors. Dubbed the Hercules, Rosewill are aiming for a unique individual – one willing to pair a dual processor system with several GPUs that have tri 6-pin power connectors.

On the case side, Rosewill were happy to describe their main 2012 top end chassis – the Throne. Featuring an interesting concept on the top of the board – at the movement of a slider, the top panel will open to improve airflow out of the top of the case, or close to reduce dust getting into the case. The Throne features enough space for 10 3.5" SATA drives, XL-ATX and E-ATX motherboards, and should retail for $179.

Also on display was a nice extra long ‘mid-tower’ sized case. Designed to accommodate the super sized graphics cards, Rosewill predict that the Armor will be one of their top selling chassis at the $149 mark.

More images in the gallery below.
Gallery: Computex 2012: The Rosewill Booth





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While refresh season is generally a little underwhelming for press and end users alike (surprise surprise, vendors are using the newest generation of processors!), there can be diamonds in the rough. Dell's updated Precision lineup suggested a sleeping giant slowly waking up, but where the refreshed Inspirons are a bold move in form and Dell is clearly getting more aggressive again, the updates can seem underwhelming.
We're looking at three Inspiron lines, which in many ways seems to run contradictory to the simplified branding Dell was preaching about back when they launched the XPS 13 ultrabook. Complexity creep may be an issue that affects more than just game designers.
As far as the hardware itself goes, most of the systems are being updated to Ivy Bridge, although Dell did let slip that some of these are using the dual core, standard voltage Ivy Bridge processors that haven't been outed yet.

The Inspiron R series are the budgetest of the budget, available in 15.6" and 17.3" form factors with both regular and Special Edition versions. The difference? Special Edition systems use aluminum lids instead of glossy plastic, sport full 1080p displays (both 15.6" and 17.3"), offer dedicated graphics options (AMD Radeon HD 7730M with 2GB DDR3 in the R15 SE and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 2GB GDDR5 in the R17 SE), and feature Skullcandy branded speakers instead of the usual. That's something worth investigating a little, because while HP has had their Beats Audio and Sony now has their comically named "LL Cool J Boomdizzle Bundle," Dell has typically produced the best sounding notebooks overall, at least subjectively. They may very well be playing branding catch up, but their sound quality has been pretty solid for some time now. The R17 SE will also be available with a 120Hz display using NVIDIA's 3D Vision 2 solution.
If you delete all the sexy details from the previous paragraph, you're left with the entry level Inspiron R series. No dedicated graphics, no backlit keyboards, bottom rung displays, no SSD caching. These aren't supposed to be exciting, though, they're for consumers on strict budgets. The proof is in the pricing: the 15R starts at $549 while its Special Edition jumps up to $899; the 17R starts at $599 while its Special Edition jumps all the way up to $1,099.

Where Dell seems to be getting more in the swing of things is with the Inspiron 13z and 14z. These are a little too thick to be called ultrabooks but they're still under an inch thick and both are in the neighborhood of about four pounds. Displays remain underwhelming at 1366x768, but starting at $599 the 13z could be a solid ultraportable alternative to more expensive ultrabooks. The 14z is more compelling: Dell offers both an mSATA SSD caching option and a dedicated graphics option in the form of the AMD Radeon HD 7570M with 1GB of GDDR5. Both notebooks appear to be running low voltage but not ultra low voltage Ivy Bridge processors though they start with Sandy Bridge ULV chips. The 14z starts at $699, and may actually be one of the better options Dell makes available.
Availability for all of these notebooks is set for June 19th.



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Of the first crop of ultrabooks, Toshiba's Portege Z835 may not have been a big winner in terms of performance, but for usability and perhaps most importantly, price, it was a major success. The Z835 was able to get a lot of traction in ways that many of the other ultrabooks couldn't, and a lot of that had to do with how fast Toshiba was able to get it down to just $799 in retail, a price point even Acer had trouble hitting without making some real sacrifices. The Z835 wasn't the most solid feeling ultrabook or the fastest, but it had an SSD where Acer's bottom rung was employing hybrid storage solutions, and it was a good enough value.
Today Toshiba is capitalizing on that lead in some very smart ways, though. Ivy Bridge brings with it some big benefits for ultrabooks, substantially improving performance within the same power and thermal envelope, and naturally the Z835 is being refreshed with the shiny new Z935. The Z935 is basically the same system as the Z835, just with Ivy Bridge, but in my meeting with Toshiba I was also informed that the Z935 would become available with a higher resolution screen than 768p. Hopefully that'll turn out to be the case, but it's good to know that some of the vendors are starting to take the hint. The Z935 will be available on June 24th at a starting price of $899, but remember that it's SSD only, and these things often sell for less than MSRP. The Z835 started at $899, too, but quickly dropped to the much more compelling $799 price point.
For a budget option, Toshiba is also releasing a 14" ultrabook, the Satellite U845. The U845 uses an aluminum shell and you go down to a hybrid mechanical hard disk with SSD caching solution, and the weight bumps up to four pounds, but the notebook itself is still under an inch thick and definitely portable for a 14" system. Being the least expensive entry, it's stuck with a 1366x768 resolution screen, but it also starts at just $749 and like the Z935, it'll be available on June 24th.

Far and away the most interesting ultrabook Toshiba had on hand was the Satellite U845W. This is the first 21:9 aspect ratio notebook I've ever seen, and the aspect is compelling for the right kind of user. Internally it's the same you've come to expect, with an Ivy Bridge ULV processor, USB 3.0, and then a mechanical hard disk with SSD caching. That 14.4" 1792x768 resolution screen is something else entirely, though, and while some users may balk at the lack of vertical resolution, the "double-wide" horizontal screen space makes the system a good choice for coding or any kind of text work. Toshiba is positioning it as more of a multimedia system (2.35:1 aspect movies can play without letterboxing), but I took one look at it and saw the kind of system that could be ideal for press who need something portable but need to have two document windows open at once. We're hoping to get one in for review when it becomes available, and that's July 15th, with a starting MSRP of $999.



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Only two members of ASUS' Z77 stack feature integrated Thunderbolt support: the P8Z77-V Premium and the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt. As the interface is still fairly new and the controllers still relatively expensive, ASUS didn't want to burden the price of all of its 7-series motherboards by adding Thunderbolt across the lineup. Recognizing the value in supporting the interface however, ASUS offers a Thunderbolt upgrade path for many of its other 7-series boards.

If your board is in the table above under the Thunderbolt/EX supported header, then you'll be able to find one of these TB Headers on your motherboard. ASUS will sell you a Thunderbolt EX card that plugs into a PCIe slot (it's a physical/electrical x4 device), connects to this header, and plugs into the DisplayPort output on your mothebroard. The expansion card features a single Thunderbolt port that you can use after completing the requisite steps. The card itself is home to a single port, dual-channel Cactus Ridge Thunderbolt controller. The external routing of DisplayPort is necessary to provide DP pass-through functionality via the Thunderbolt port, but it does admittedly take away from the clean single cable appeal of native Thunderbolt.

ASUS hasn't announced pricing of the upgrade yet but it gives users who really want Thunderbolt on their ASUS board a chance to have it.
Gallery: ASUS' Thunderbolt EX Upgrade Card for 7-series Motherboards





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Congrats to mzr who won our MSI Ivy Bridge Gaming Notebook giveaway. Today we have a change of pace with our giveaways. Qualcomm has given us a single pass to its Uplinq 2012 conference to give away to one lucky reader. Our own Jason Inofuentes will be covering the show which is in San Diego, CA on June 27 and 28th. Registration for Uplinq normally costs $375 but one lucky reader will get a registration code that waves the fee.

If you aren't selected and still want to attend, Qualcomm also gave us a 30% discount code for AnandTech readers. Simply use code UB2012 during the registration process.
Now the rules. To enter simply respond to this post with a comment explaining why you'd want to attend Uplinq. Please only comment if you will actually be able to attend the show if you win. This contest is only available to US residents in one of the 50 states. Finally, you are only allowed to enter once.
Entries will be accepted from 6:30 PM ET on June 6, 2012 through 6:30 PM ET on June 8, 2012. Winners will be selected by June 9, 2011.
Good luck everyone :)

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So far Thunderbolt accessory offerings have been fairly limited and conventional. There are several external storage solutions with Thunderbolt support but the only advantage they provide over USB 3.0 or eSATA solutions is higher bandwidth. What's more, to achieve such bandwidth you either need a multi-bay enclosure with several hard drives in RAID mode or an SSD based setup. Apple's Thunderbolt Display (ATD) is certainly one of the more unique Thunderbolt peripherals as it functions as a dock as well, but at $999 it's quite expensive unless you're already looking for a gorgeous 27" 2560x1440 display. There has not been a simple dock-like product with the most frequently used ports--basically like the ATD but without the display. We have some good news in this regard because Belkin and Matrox have both announced Thunderbolt docks. Without further delay, let's take a look at the specifications, shall we?
Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock

Belkin actually already announced the Thunderbolt Express Dock at CES 2012 but it won't be shipping until September. However, Belkin has now revised the specifications to include a couple of very welcome interfaces: USB 3.0 and eSATA. The original Thunderbolt Express Dock was set to feature three USB 2.0 ports and no eSATA at all, but apparently Belkin has changed their mind and added these two interfaces. Below is a full list of specifications:

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock Specifications
Ports	2x Thunderbolt (daisy-chaining supported) 3x USB 3.0 1x FireWire 800 1x eSATA 1x Gigabit Ethernet 3.5mm audio in and out
Price	$399
Availability	September 2012

Despite the upgrades, Belkin is still aiming for a September launch. The specifications are not the only thing that changed because the dock was originally set to retail for $299, but Belkin has now upped the price to $399. Belkin has also announced their own Thunderbolt cable. Belkin's cable measures in at one meter, which is exactly half the length of Apple's Thunderbolt cable. The cable will be available in July with a suggested retail price of $45.
Matrox DS-1 Docking Station

Belkin won't be alone in the Thunderbolt dock market as Matrox has announced their own Thunderbolt dock as well:
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: tlblue, colspan: 2, align: center"] Matrox DS-1 Docking Station Specifications[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tlgrey"] Ports[/TD]
[TD] 1x Thunderbolt (daisy-chaining not supported)
1x USB 3.0
2x USB 2.0
1x Gigabit Ethernet
1x DVI (output)
3.5mm audio in and out

We’ve already seen one Ultrabook with a discrete GPU—Acer’s TimelineU M3—but that was an “old” Sandy Bridge Ultrabook. At Computex 2012, several more Ultrabooks sporting discrete GPUs have shown up, including an apparently updated version of the M3. Interestingly—or perhaps not?—we have yet to see any Ultrabooks sporting AMD discrete GPUs; if you happen to know of any, drop me a note! Here’s the short list of known specs for the upcoming “gaming Ultrabooks”:

Upcoming/Announced Ultrabooks with Discrete (Switchable) Graphics
Maker	Ultrabook Model	Discrete GPU	Screen size	Screen res.
Acer	M5-481TG	GeForce GT 640M LE	14”	1366x768
Acer	M5-581TG	GeForce GT 640M	15.6”	1366x768
Asus	UX32VD	GeForce GT 620M	13.3”	1920x1080
Gigabyte	U2440N	GeForce GT 630M	14”	1366x768
Gigabyte	U2442N	GeForce GT 650M	14”	1600x900

The Acer M5 models appear to be Ivy Bridge updates of the previously reviewed TimelineU M3, only this time they should be available in the US. In typical Acer fashion, they’ll have 14” and 15.6” Ultrabooks with the larger unit sporting a slightly faster GPU. Gigabyte also has two models; this time both are 14”, with the higher-spec unit using a Kepler GT 650M and sporting a 1600x900 LCD while the U2440N goes with a bog standard 1366x768 LCD and a GT 630M.
Wrapping up the list for now is the ASUS UX32VD, which we’ve already discussed previously. It has the smallest LCD size at just 13.3”, but it also has the highest resolution LCD. On the GPU side, ASUS also sports the lowest performance GPU of the bunch, the GT 620M. Based on the 28nm GF117 core, a shrink of the Fermi GF108, power use should be substantially lower than chips like the GT 525M while delivering similar (25MHz higher) clock speeds.
Gallery: Computex 2012 Ultrabooks with Discrete GPUs


Above are some NVIDIA-provided images of several of the laptops from their Computex booth. What’s not clear is whether the GPUs are all 28nm versions or if some of the models are 40nm chips. Given we’re looking at Ultrabooks, we suspect all of the laptops are using NVIDIA 28nm GPUs. We’ve detailed the various 600M SKUs previously, but in the case of the GT 640M LE and the GT 630M used above, there’s no word on which of the two chips is being used. Just to recap, GT 640M LE is available in a 28nm GK107 model as well as a 40nm GF108 model, making for a wide disparity in expectations as Kepler should be both faster and use less power. GT 630M isn’t quite as bad, as both the 40nm GF108 as well as the 28nm GF117 shrink are supposed to run at up to 800MHz. We’ve asked NVIDIA for clarification on the GPUs and will update as necessary.



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At the MSI booth, we were treated to several interesting FM2 motherboards for upcoming Trinity desktop processors. In a variety of form factors (including miniITX!), MSI hope to take to the market on release with a variety of SKUs. What was a little striking was that even though some boards were named 'A85', most of them actually use the A75 chipset.

Gallery: Computex 2012: MSI and Trinity




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Visiting the MSI booth today at Computex was rather exciting – they were showing off two rather interesting GPU fan technologies, alongside their portable Thunderbolt GPU device, GUS.
The first is a new GPU fan design, for users who want either increased GPU cooling, or increased VRM cooling. Initially being a small sized GPU, a user can add a second fan on top of the first, to increase the airflow blowing directly onto the main part of the cooler above the GPU:

This cooler can expand if a user has a long enough case, and the second fan can be moved to the edge of the cooler, providing more cooling along that side of the GPU.

This extra fan is limited to 40% RPM due to the controller being used. MSI tell us that there are plans to make this fan fully adjustable.
Also of interest to us is the introduction of the ‘dust-free’ methods MSI are bring to their main user line of enthusiast SKUs. At startup, the fans on the GPU will spin in the reverse direction for 30 seconds in an attempt to draw dust out of the GPU (but dump it into the case). After 30 seconds, the fans will spin back the other way to produce the desired cooling effect. MSI say this has come about due to the Asian market, where pollution can cause dust buildup in cases and coolers.
GUS is what part of the world has been waiting for - an external GPU housing. Data transfer comes through a Thunderbolt cable to provide 10 Gbps bandwidth, and MSI state they should be selling this housing with a GPU up to 150W, so 7870, 7850 and 6850 models to begin with in Q3/Q4 if demand is high enough and Thunderbolt takes a hold in the market.

More photos in the gallery below.
Gallery: Computex 2012: MSI GPU Technologies




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AMD today announced their Brazos 2.0 APUs, also known as their 2012 AMD E-series APU. Brazos has actually been a major success for AMD, particularly in emerging markets, as it handily beats Intel’s Atom offerings and costs very little to manufacture. AMD has shipped over 30 million units, and there are over 160 different designs using Brazos. So what exactly is new in the world of Brazos for 2012? Not much, actually, other than names and model numbers. Here’s the short list of the new APUs:

AMD E-Series APU for Essential Notebooks and Desktops
APU Model	GPU Model	TDP	CPU Cores	CPU Clock (Max/Base)	Radeon Cores	GPU Clock (Max/Base)	L2 Cache	Max DDR3
E2-1800	HD 7340	18W	2	1.7GHz	80	680MHz/ 523MHz	1MB	DDR3-1333 DDR3L1066 DDR3U-1066
E1-1200	HD 7310	18W	2	1.4GHz	80	500MHz	1MB	DDR3-1066 DDR3L-1066 DDR3U-1066
E-450	HD 6320	18W	2	1.65GHz	80	600MHz/ 508Mhz	1MB	DDR3-1333 DDR3L1066 DDR3U-1066
E-350	HD 6310	18W	2	1.6GHz	80	492MHz	1MB	DDR3- DDR3-1066 DDR3L-1066 DDR3U-1066
E-300	HD 6310	18W	2	1.3GHz	80	488MHz	1MB	DDR3-1066 DDR3L-1066 DDR3U-1066
E-240	HD 6310	18W	1	1.5GHz	80	500MHz	512KB	DDR3-1066 DDR3L-1066 DDR3U-1066

If that looks strikingly similar to the current E-series APUs, that’s because “Brazos 2.0” is using the same die. The E2-1800 is the replacement for the current E-450, with CPU clocks that are 50MHz higher, while the E1-1200 is also a dual-core die but with a lower 1400MHz clock—100MHz more than the previous E-300. The GPU gets a few more changes: first, AMD has rebranded the HD 6310/6320 as the HD 7310/7340, and second, the GPU clocks are higher. E-300 clocked the GPU at 488MHz, so the E1-1200 is only 12MHz (2.5%) faster; E-450 had the GPU clock at 508MHz with a max Turbo clock of 600MHz, so the 523/680MHz clocks of the E2-1800 are 3% and 13% higher, respectively. How often you’ll actually hit the higher GPU clocks isn’t exactly clear, but don’t count on being able to play the latest gaming blockbusters regardless.
If you’re a little depressed about the rebranding of the Brazos Zacate as Brazos 2.0, you’re not alone. This looks like a marketing driven move, particularly with the HD 7000 branding of the GPUs. There’s nothing even remotely similar to Southern Islands chips in Brazos, and the 80 core design has its roots in AMD’s 5000 series of GPUs. That still gives you DX11 and OpenCL 1.1 support, and given the CPU performance of Brazos—still substantially slower than any modern laptop CPU other than Intel’s Atom—there’s not really a need for more GPU performance. The 7000 branding essentially carries over from what we’ve seen on the other laptop GPUs, where everything below 7700M is simply a rebranded HD 6000M chip (which in some cases were rebranded HD 5000M chips).
While the new APUs don’t appear to have changed from previous Brazos chips, the platform has seen some updates. The real changes are in the Fusion Controller Hub (FCH), “Hudson-M3L” or A68M, which now supports two USB 3.0 ports as well as native support for SD card readers. AMD also lists support for their Steady Video Technology and Quick Stream Technology, though why those aren’t supported on older Brazos chips isn’t clear. Finally, AMD lists the FCH idle power as 750mW, down from 950mW on the previous A50M FCH.
All told, the changes and tweaks appear to have improved battery life slightly along with adding a few new features—or at least, the process technology is more mature and yields have improved to the point where the latest chips are better than the first models. AMD lists battery life improvements of 5% at idle for E2-1800/E1-1200 compared to E-450/E-300. There’s no indication of expected availability, but other than the changes to the FCH, the new APUs should be drop-in replacements for previous E-series APUs, so we expect to see updated designs sooner rather than later. Pricing as always will be up to the OEMs, and choices of memory, storage, and other components will largely determine how inexpensive Brazos 2012 products will be, but as long as OEMs can continue to push prices down in lieu of more substantial upgrades they likely won't catch too much flak from buyers.



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