Thread: Anandtech News

MediaTek will be introducing a special development board based on its Helio X20 SoC that is compatible with Linaro’s 96Boards specification and is aimed at developers, who are working on various low-power applications running Android. MediaTek uses development boards like this to help address new IoT markets in addition to smartphones and tablets.

The Helio X20 Development Board is listed as suitable to initiate design for consumer applications such as virtual reality headsets, advanced driver assisted systems (ADAS), mobile point-of-sale, smart signage, vending machines and other similar verticals. The platform from MediaTek is compatible with Linaro’s 69Boards hardware specification for consumer electronics devices, hence, it comes equipped with basic input/output capabilities, such Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, USB 2.0/3.0 (with OTG), microSDHC socket for memory cards (or embedded NAND flash storage), display output(s), 40-pin and 60-pin low-profile headers for hardware makers and so on. As for dimensions, we are talking about a low-profile “credit card” form-factor: 85 x 54 x 12 mm.

Right now, despite being made on a 20nm planar process node, MediaTek’s Helio X20 (two ARM Cortex-A72 cores, eight Cortex-A53 cores, ARM Mali-T880 MP4 graphics, dual-channel LPDDR3 memory controller, etc.) is one of the most powerful 64-bit mobile SoCs. Its heterogeneous multi-core architecture allows developers to delegate background/simple tasks to low-power A53 cores, while using high-performance A72 cores for workloads that require more general-purpose horsepower. Such design could be useful for a variety of consumer applications and for now, the Helio X20 Development Board will be the most powerful 96Boards-compatible platform when it comes to compute performance. The default board will come with 2GB of dual channel LPDDR3 at 933 MHz, and 8GB of eMMC 5.1 storage.
Furthermore, advanced features of the Helio X20, such as imaging capabilities (32 MP camera support, 3D depth hardware engine), world-mode LTE modem, and hardware-accelerated 4K video playback with 10-bit color depth, should enable developers to create a wide variety of consumer applications using the tiny board.

“The Helio X20 Development Board will enhance the range of 96Boards development platforms, enabling commercial and hobbyist developers working on the next generation of products and software,” said David Rusling, chief technology officer of Linaro.
The MediaTek Helio X20 Development Board is compatible with Google Android and will be available from ArcherMind Technology in China to begin. Pricing will scale depending on interest.

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In the recent months, Seagate has made several significant announcements regarding the future of HDD technology and unveiled a number of important products. In particular, late last year the company has said that hard disk drives would continue to evolve in the following 20 years, implying that Seagate is exploring multiple technologies to improve capacities and performance of HDDs. Additionally, Seagate introduced the first shingled magnetic recording (SMR) based consumer drives for mobile PCs, which marks a significant milestone in the development of the technology. We spoke with Mark Re, Chief Technology Officer of Seagate, to discuss Seagate's plans to announce HDDs featuring other important technologies. Rather than a question/answer discussion, what follows is a culmination and expansion of topics discussed.

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NVIDIA is back once again with their first driver release for the month of July. This latest update, 368.69 WQHL, is focused on the usual mix of fixes, along with "game ready" driver support for the forthcoming VR edition of DiRT Rally.
This driver update continues with the release 367 branch, and the list of fixes covers a broad area. There are a few fixes listed in the release notes for productivity items like CUDA, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, and a crash when running the NVIDIA GRID K1 under a Window 10 virtual machine. There is also a fix for a rendering error in XSplit Broadcaster. Also resolved is an issue causing The Crew to crash when launched after a driver update. Additionally, there is a fix for the GTX 1080 Founders Edition’s fans spinning up and down rapidly.
Beyond the list of fixes, NVIDIA has provided support for the upcoming DiRT Rally VR. A release date hasn't been announced yet, though NVIDIA notes in their blog that we will see it on the Oculus Store soon and that current owners will receive an update through Steam this month. There are also SLI profiles provided for Armored Warfare, Dangerous Golf, iRacing: Motorsport Simulator, Lost Ark, and Tiger Knight.
Anyone interested can download the updated drivers through GeForce Experience or on the NVIDIA driver download page. More information on this update and further issues can be found in the 368.69 release notes.

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Raidmax, despite being that common a name in the west, is actually one of the oldest PC case and PSU manufacturers. Over recent years, they have focused on cost-effective designs and released numerous products. In this review, we are having a look at the Monster Power RX-700AT, an 80Plus Titanium certified PSU from Raidmax based on an Andyson platform. The RX-700AT is reported to be designed to combine top-tier efficiency with a reasonable price tag.

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Excitingly, GPU Season 2016 is now in full swing. In the last two months we have seen NVIDIA launch a pair of high-end cards – the Pascal-based GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 – and just last week rival AMD launched their first card based on their Polaris architecture, the mainstream-focused Radeon RX 480. Powered by TSMC’s 16nm FinFET process and GlobalFoundries’ 14nm FinFET process respectively, NVIDIA and AMD have delivered better performance for lower prices, and with lower power consumption as well.
Of course no GPU product stack is complete with just a single chip and a handful of cards, and over the coming months we are going to see both vendors rolling out the rest of their respective stacks. To that end, kicking off this second wave of updates today is NVIDIA, who in traditional top-to-bottom fashion is announcing the next card in their product stack, GeForce GTX 1060. Powered by the company’s new GP106 GPU, GTX 1060 will be NVIDIA’s play at the mainstream/enthusiast market.

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Samsung today introduced the world’s first flash memory cards in UFS form-factor. The cards are compliant with the UFS Card 1.0 specification and offer performance comparable to that of desktop SATA SSDs. It is worth noting that the new cards are not backwards compatible with current microSD devices, which use various versions of SD cards, but they open doors to new levels of removable storage performance as the spec will develop in the coming years.
The new UFS memory cards from Samsung rely on the UFS 1.0 Card Standard (single 5.8 Gbps lanes) published earlier this year. Samsung intends to offer UFS cards with 32, 64, 128 and 256 GB capacities. The top-of-the-range 256 GB UFS card will offer sequential read performance up to 530 MB/s and sequential write performance up to 170 MB/s. As for random performance, then Samsung declares 40,000 read IOPS and 35,000 write IOPS for the 256GB version.

The Universal Flash Storage specification for consumer electronics was published around five years ago and is currently used to connect SoCs to NAND flash storage inside smartphones and other devices. UFS relies on the SCSI transfer architecture as well as on an M-PHY and UniPro electrical interface developed by MIPI Alliance. The SCSI architectural model allows the storage to take advantage of multiple commands with command queuing features, and thus greatly improve random read/write performance for NAND flash storage by supporting simultaneous reading and writing. Meanwhile, the M-PHY interface with 2.9-5.8 Gbps data-rate per lane gives a significant increase in bandwidth for NAND devices. The boosted performance typically helps speed up loading of applications, or capturing images or videos in higher resolution (and/or with enhanced bit-rate). UFS-compliant memory cards bring the advantages of SCSI and M-PHY to removable storage in card form-factor.

Samsung positions its UFS memory cards for a variety of future compatible devices, such as DSLRs, 3D VR cameras, drones, mobile devices and other electronics, which benefit from high-performance removable storage. At present, none of such devices are commercially available, but with new cards approaching, it is logical to expect makers of devices to catch up.

The world’s first UFS memory cards have passed Universal Flash Storage Association (UFSA)’s certification program, which assesses electrical and functional specifications. As a result, Samsung will be able to start selling its UFSA-certified UFS cards as soon as the first devices with appropriate card readers launch.
Other makers of NAND flash memory and products based on it, such as Micron, SK Hynix, Toshiba and Western Digital (SanDisk), will also likely launch their UFS memory cards in the coming months and quarters.

Since the UFS standard is developing (currently consumer electronics use UFS 2.0 spec for non-removable storage) and is expected to advance to versions 3.0 and 4.0 in the coming years. It is expected that the removable UFS card line will also improve to the newer standards over time.
Samsung did not touch upon pricing or availability of the upcoming UFS memory cards.



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macOS Sierra was announced at this year's WWDC, and by this point it's now on its second beta release for developers. Today Apple is making a beta version of Sierra available to the general public as part of the Apple Beta Software program that technically began with the original Mac OS X 10.0 beta, but more recently began again with the later releases of OS X Mavericks. The macOS betas allow Apple to bring a wider range of users into the development and testing process which helps with discovering bugs and getting feedback about the implementation of new features.
The macOS Sierra beta will be available for anyone with a supported Mac to download from Apple's beta software site later today. As always, Apple notes that the OS is still in development and so bugs and other such issues may be encountered with existing applications as well as updated applications and features that have been added to the OS. Users also also encouraged to provide feedback via the built in Feedback Assistant app. Updates will be provided through the Mac App Store as usual, and when the final version of macOS Sierra launches there will be a direct update to it as well.
Apple Beta Software

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GIGABYTE has quietly released its new high-end power supply designed for expensive gaming PCs as well as workstations. The new PSU belongs to GIGABYTE’s Xtreme Gaming family of components, which are aimed at high-performance computers used primarily for gaming. The XP1200M PSU from GIGABYTE has modular design, components with enhanced durability as well as a 'smart' control fan.

Power Specifications ( Rated @ Unknown °C )
AC INPUT	100 - 240 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz
RAIL	+3.3V	+5V	+12V	+5Vsb	-12V
MAX OUTPUT	25A	22A	100A	2,5A	0,3A
120W		1200W	12.5W	3.6W
TOTAL	1200W

The GIGABYTE XP1200M is the first member and the flagship of the Xtreme Gaming series of PSUs, it is rated for 1200 W and is compatible with the ATX12V v2.31 as well as EPS12V standards (thus, can support not only desktop but also multiprocessor server motherboards). The power supply features a modular design, Rubycon capacitors as well as a 140 mm dual ball bearing fan that can control its speed according to the power consumption. The fan is rated to stay under 20 dBA when the load on the power supply is below 720 W. As for efficiency, the PSU is certified for 80 Plus Platinum rating and thus 90-94% efficient under 20%, 50% and 100% load for 230V. In fact, the rather extreme power draw (as well as the 80 Plus Platinum badge) are the key features that differentiate the Xtreme Gaming power supply from other PSUs from GIGABYTE.

The XP1200M from GIGABYTE features EPS12V power connectors (one 24-pin and two 4+4-pin connectors) for motherboards, 6+2-pin PCIe power plugs for graphics cards and add-in cards, SATA power connectors, Molex connectors and 4-pin plugs for floppy drives and other peripherals such as fan controllers. All cables are flat and black, just like the PSU itself, whereas the fan is orange, in line with the Xtreme Gaming colors.

GIGABYTE Xtreme Gaming XP1200M PSU at Glance
Connector type	Modular
ATX 24 Pin	1
EPS 4+4 Pin	2
PCI-E 6+2 Pin	6
SATA	12
Molex	8
Floppy	2
Fan	140 mm
Dimensions	180 x 150 x 86 mm

GIGABYTE did not announce recommended pricing or timing for its Xtreme Gaming XP1200M PSU, but keep in mind that we are talking about an ultra-high-end product. Depending on the underlying OEM design, warranty and package, this power supply could easily be in the $200-$250 range.
Gallery: GIGABYTE Releases 1200 W Xtreme Gaming Power Supply Unit

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In what’s hopefully the final chapter on AMD’s saga over the last week with the Radeon RX 480’s power consumption, AMD has posted the previously promised 16.7.1 driver set on their website.
As a reminder, 16.7.1 is being released first and foremost to address RX 480’s power consumption issues, in which reviewers found that it was drawing too much power from the PCIe graphics (PEG) slot, and that the total power consumption of the card was at times exceeding 150W, which is the technical limit for a card with a 6-pin power connector. Of the two issues, PEG power consumption is arguably the greater of the two, as the external power connectors are far more forgiving.
To that end, 16.7.1 rolls out a two tier solution to the problem.

1. Shift some of the power load off of the PCIe Graphics (PEG) slot connector in order to bring PEG slot power consumption within the PCIe spec. This doesn’t reduce total power consumption and performance is unaffected; power delivery is merely shifted. Based on earlier data this will put the 6-pin connector further over spec, but the vast majority of PSUs are very tolerant of this going out of spec.
2. Because total power consumption of RX 480 can still exceed 150W – and as a result also exceed the limits for the 6-pin connector – AMD has also implemented an optional a “compatibility” toggle that reduces the total power consumption of the card. This is to better ensure that both the PEG slot and 6-pin power connector stay below their respective limits. Since the RX 480 is already throttling at times due to power limits, this does hurt performance (more on that below), but it's also the most standards-compliant solution.

Along with the power changes, the driver also incorporates some previously scheduled bug fixes and performance improvements. This includes fixing GTA V stuttering, and small performance boosts for a limited number of games that AMD states should improve performance by up to 3%.
Finally, the 16.7.1 driver can be found on AMD’s website. Note that the driver itself is not WHQL certified, but given AMD’s rush to get it out ASAP, I don’t imagine they were interested in waiting for WHQL certification to come back before releasing them.
Diving into matters then, PC Perspective has already taken a look at the new driver and done individual power rail measurements, finding that AMD’s fixes work more-or-less as advertised. They have found some edge cases where the card is still drawing a watt or two more power from the PEG slot than the specification allows, though at this point we’re arguing over inches. It should be noted however that even in compatibility mode, PC Perspective is still finding that power consumption is technically exceeding 75W on the 6-pin connector, though like the PEG slot by notably less than when not using compatibility mode.
Meanwhile to look at the performance impact of the new driver, I quickly ran our RX 480 through a selection of games at 2560x1440, both with and without compatibility mode.

In standard mode where power consumption isn’t curtailed, performance is essentially unchanged outside of Tomb Raider, which is one of the games targeted for optimization. Essentially this proves that there’s no performance impact from merely shifting power consumption off of the PEG slot to the 6-pin power connector.
Meanwhile in compatibility mode, there is a very small performance hit, though it varies with the game. Compared to standard mode, we’re looking at no more than a 1fps performance drop (~3%), with some games losing only a fraction of a frame per second. That there is a performance drop is consistent – so compatibility mode isn’t free – but overall the performance change is within the +/- 2% margin of error for these benchmarks.

Finally, when it comes to power consumption, measurements at the wall back up our earlier findings. In standard mode, power consumption at the wall bobbles by a couple of watts compared to the 16.6.2 drivers. With compatibility mode on, we see power consumption drop by 18W under Crysis 3, and 13W under FurMark. The average GPU clockspeed in both cases is similarly reduced, with Crysis 3 shaving off around 50MHz.
Anyhow, we’ll have a bit more on the subject in next week’s full Radeon RX 480 review. But in the meantime it looks like AMD has been able to get a handle on their power problems and largely rectify them within the span of a week, making for a fairly quick recovery on the RX 480’s launch fumble.

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Yesterday we saw the announcement of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1060. Though NVIDIA is producing a reference Founders Edition card, as this is a more mainstream product, NVIDIA is leaving retail card production to their partners, who will be launching their custom solutions on day one. With the retail release still approaching what we have is more of a teaser then an announcement, but can begin to show us more of what the $250-$300 price bracket will start to look like as the GTX 1060 launch approaches.
ASUS has teased three separate renditions of the GeForce GTX 1060, as pictured above. These include a Turbo card with a blower, the Dual with two fans, and an ROG STRIX card. The last of which has the same cooler as the ROG STRIX 1080 and 1070, and as hinted by the AURA logo may feature the same RGB lighting found in the GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 ROG STRIX cards. There is no news yet on specs or performance numbers, or price and release date for these cards, but we should see those as soon as the July 19 release of the GTX 1060.

Inno3D GTX 1060 Gaming OC X2

Inno3D has announced that two cards are on the way. First is the Inno3D GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming OC X2, which features two fans and translucent highlights. We don’t yet know of any physical details aside from what is pictured. Next we have the Inno3D GeForce GTX 1060 iChill X3. This card appears to be longer and also has three fans. While this cooler may be more effective than the two fan Gaming OC X2 card, it appears that these cards have identical specifications with a boost clock of 1784 and memory clock of 8.2Gbps. That identifies these cards with a factory overclock, but performance should be identical with the numbers that are currently reported.

Inno3D GTX 1060 iChill X3

Finally, in the truest definition of a teaser by not even showing the whole card, Gigabyte is teasing its GTX 1060 G1 GAMING. The card features a dual fan Windforce X2 cooler, with RGB lighting built into the shroud. Gigabyte has also disclosed that the card will feature a 6+1 phase power design (as opposed to 3+1), which indicates that they'll be using a custom PCB for their card and not NVIDIA's reference PCB.

Mainstream NVIDIA card launches typically feature semi and fully-custom designs from NVIDIA's partners right off the bat, so no doubt we'll see more custom cards unveiled as we get closer to the 19th. Meanwhile with vendors no doubt eager to lock in sales with premium cards, it remains to be see how many of these designs will actually approach the $249 MSRP NVIDIA has announced.
Sources: Tom's Hardware & Tom's Hardware

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