Dell Announces Studio, Alienware, Xps Series Which Will Invade Core i7 Laptops With Nvidia & Ati New Technology

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Well, you knew it was only a matter of time. Last week we reported on HP's lines of laptops hitting the streets this fall, and today, as Intel officially lifts the lid on the mobile Core i7 processor (the artist formerly known as "Clarksfield"), Dell follows suit. So, what we're seeing from the big D this time out are a couple refreshes of 15-, 16-, and 17-inch laptops in the Studio line. We'll get to them in just a second. But as Dell considers the M15x from its Alienware subsidiary the "flagship core i7 product," we should probably get to that monster machine first. The M15x is, in a nutshell, a smaller version of the M17x--a potentially powerful 15-inch gaming rig that will fit in your laptop bag (14.88 by 12.15 by 1.92 inches), but also, potentiallly, rip a hole through the bottom, since the thing weighs about 9 pounds with the 6-cell battery.

Alienware is being pretty cagey about the package at the moment, saying that the M15x will "start at $1499." That leaves a whole lot of wriggle room for the keyoptional features that is likely to include: Intel's 2GHz Core i7 920XM CPU (this CPU alone sells for $1054), 1GB of nVidia GeForce GTX 260M, up to 8GB of RAM, up to a 500GB hard drive (at 7200 rpm) or a 256GB SSD, and a slot-loading optical drive (a dual-layer BD-ROM will, no doubt, cost extra). No word on what you can expect to pay for this just yet, but I'll update this report the second I get price confirmations from Alienware.

The standard port package seems reasonable: One 4-pin FireWire jack, two USB 2.0 ports, one combo USB/e-SATA port, an 8-in-1 media card reader, an ExpressCard slot, and 1000 mbps ethernet. On the A/V side, VGA and DisplayPort video-out (what? No HDMI?), two audio-out connectors, audio-in/ microphone jacks, and two front-firing speakers.

So, yeah, the M15x is a potent portable gaming rig that still resembles a Transformer (minus Michael Bay's directorial panache). Of course that doesn't say how the machine handles in the turns. While I'm anticipating a test machine rolling into the office any day now, I can at least give you a sneak preview of sorts. You see, Intel sent along a sample Core i7 test machine. You can click here for a preview of what to expect from the latest high-end desktop replacement machines.

Next up, some of Dell's more mainstream contributions to the i7 fold. All three of the Studio machines introduced today come with the $364 Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz CPU. Probably the most surprising parts: the features that are packed in, and the surprisingly reasonable prices. Take the Studio 17 and its $1099 starting price (I wonder how much of the following specs come in that $1099 model). Besides the 720QM, this 17.3-inch laptop (with a 1600-by-900-pixel WLED display) offers a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 GPU; 4GB of RAM; a 250GB, 7200-rpm hard drive; a slot-loading DVD-RW drive; a 2-megapixel Webcam; a JBL 2.1 speaker system (two front-firing 1.5-watt speakers and a 6-watt subwoofer); and a 9-cell battery.

The Studio 15 starts at just under a grand (specifically, $999) with the only real differences being the 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 GPU and 15.6-inch (1366-by-768-pixel) WLED panel. Of course, the more upgrades you pile on, the more you boost the price. The Studio XPS 16 is the premium solution that packs in a whole lot of meat--that'll cost you a little more green (this model starts at $1249). You get the 720QM; 1GB of an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 GPU; 4GB of RAM; and a 250GB, 7200-rpm hard drive powering the beast. To show off the goods, a 1600-by-900 edge-to-edge WLED display is nestled inside a 15.6-inch panel, along with a 7-watt sound system (with subwoofer). A slot-loading DVD-RW drive, a 2-megapixel Webcam, and a 9-cell battery come on board as well.

Dell is chomping at the bit to get these guys out the door. In fact, you can order the Studio XPS 16 as early as this.

Asus Promises "Extreme Overclocking" with New Powerful EAH5000 Series Graphic Cards

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Asus today launched a pair of Radeon HD 5000 series videocards -- EAH5870 and EAH5850 -- the company claims will accommodate extreme levels of overclocking thanks to an "innovative thermal design."

Both cards come equipped with specially-flattened copper heatpipes Asus says helps dissipate heat up to 20 percent better while playing games, while also offering up to 35 percent quieter operation when idle.

Similar to what was so successful in Cooler Master's Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler , Asus looks to have gone with a direct contact solution, squashing the 5.8-ounce heatpipes at the base. Combined with the company's exclusive "Voltage Tweak" technology, which allows users to ramp up the GPU voltage through the included SmartDoctor application, Asus says users can expect up to a 50 percent performance gain (when overclocking).

No word yet on price or availability.

Dell Announces New Latest Technology In Studio XPS 8100 Powered By Intel's Core i7

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Dell has rolled out its latest technology, the new Dell Studio XPS 8100 desktop PC which is said to replace the Studio XPS 8000. This powerful desktop pc is equipped with Intel’s latest processors the Core i5 or Core i7 which is clocked up to Core i7-870 2.93GHz. Aside from that beast-like specification it can also handle up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and up to 3TB of hard drive capacity. This latest technology is also packed with high quality dedicated ATI or NVIDIA graphics card for multimedia usage. Other features includes Blu-ray drive or DVD SuperMulti burner, an optional Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card, an optional WiFi, a 19-in-1 media card reader, a eSATA port, and a THX TruStudio PC to enhance music and movies. The Dell Studio XPS 8100 runs under Windows 7, and cost starts at $649.

Nvidia's CFO States : New Fermi Technology Cards Will Debut In Mid 2010

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For those of you holding out for Nvidia's Fermi architecture, the good news is your wait is almost over. The graphics chip maker said it plans to launch a pair of Fermi-based videocards on March 26, just a month away. The bad news, however, is that these will likely be in short supply and carry a premium price tag (see here).

Ready for some more good news? Comments made by Nvidia's CFO seem to suggest that less expensive (read: affordable) Fermi parts will likely be made available by mid-2010.

"Fermi will show up as the GeForce and Tesla first and it will definitely show up first in the highest-performance configuration. Sometime in the mid-part of the year we will see a lower-cost version of that come out both for Quadro and Tesla," said David White, Nvidia's CFO.

White stopped short of detailing what these parts might be or exactly how much they'll cost, but assuming he's right, we won't have long to wait to find out.

Twitter New Plans To Search Ad's Campaign Like Google’s Ad sense To Generate More Revenue

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Twitter’s got a new plan to make money from its ultrapopular micropublishing system — copy Google’s lucrative search ads — according to All Things D.

The idea is that Twitter will let advertisers sign up to have their ads show up as tiny 140-word posts when users search through Twitter or through other search engines that use its API. As Peter Kafka describes it: A search for, say, “laptop,” may generate an ad for Dell. The ads will only show up in search results, which means users who don’t search for something won’t see them in their regular Twitterstreams…. The services will have the option of displaying the ads, and Twitter will share revenue with those that do. hat’s a fine way to start, because it won’t really interfere with the current reading and publishing of the system, and allows the company time to tune its algorithms. Google’s tech juggernaut runs on text ads, and still makes some 60 percent of its more than $20 billion annual revenue from these kinds of contextual ads placed next to search results — the first ad product it ever introduced.

Google makes about a third of its money from its AdSense program, which lets publishers sign up and have little text ads run on their websites.

That kind of program is the logical next step for Twitter, allowing users to sign up to have, say, every 10th post be an ad placed through Twitter. That ad is related to something the user is talking about (an ad for a nearby restaurant if a user is talking about a neighborhood), or simply a branded ad placed because the advertiser likes a particular Twitterer’s audience.

While that might be more lucrative for Twitter, it would certainly be a larger change and could alienate users. So that makes starting with search ads — something nearly all net users are comfortable with and expect — a smart place for Twitter to start, even if there isn’t all that much searching going on.

Pundits and tech journalists have been wondering for years when and how Twitter would make money. Add this plan to the current recurring millions it gets from licensing its real-time streams to Microsoft and Google, and Twitter has a pretty good answer.

Exploring Western Digital's 'Advanced Format' Caviar Green HDD, minor benefits found

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Western Digital has yet to actively market its "advanced format" hard drives -- in fact, there's a decent chance you've no idea what we're talking about if you weren't tuned in on December 11th. In short, it's a technology that alters a hard drive's sector size from 512 bytes (the standard for the past three decades) to 4096K, which enables the ECC data to be stored in a more efficient manner. Just recently, WD began to ship Advanced Format Caviar Green hard drives, and the benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware strapped one in to see exactly how much of the hype was warranted. For starters, they debunked the thought that Advanced Format drives offered more usable space; Windows reported 931GB of free space on both AF and non-AF 1TB drives. They also go on to explain how to make AF drives play nice with Windows XP, and on the testing front, they found that an aligned AF Caviar Green drive could (mostly) hang with the higher end (and more expensive) Caviar Black. Pop that source link for the full skinny, particularly if you're a WinXP user looking to snag a new drive.

NVIDIA Optimus- Switchable Graphics Equiped, ASUS New N61JV-X2, N71JV-X1 Laptops hits the Store in US

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Well, we'd heard the first NVIDIA Optimus-enabled laptops would roll out at the end of the month, and lo and behold, the first NVIDIA Optimus-enabled laptops have rolled out at the end of the month. Right now, those include ASUS' N61JV-X2 and N71JV-X1 models, which are just the first of five laptops that will be available from the company, and each of which cost the same $900. That'll get you a 16-inch screen and Core i5-430M processor on the N61JV-X2, or a 17.3-inch screen and a Core i3-350M processor on the N71JV-X1, along with the same switchable GeForce GT 325M graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB hard drive on each of them. Still unclear on what NVIDIA has brought to the table with Optimus? Check out our hands-on for some more details and a few benchmarks.

Intel Buzz With New chip news on Monday; Faster netbooks are on the way

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Intel is about to bring some extra performance to netbooks. The company is expected to release a souped-up version of its “PineTrail” Atom processor on Monday, according to a post on CNET’s nanotech blog, which cited unnamed sources.

Netbooks, lower in cost and smaller in size, have compromised performance to deliver better power consumption. Pine Trail, which was announced last year, takes the graphics function that was previously on a separate chip and puts it into the central processing unit. From the CNET post: Major PC makers are expected to announce new products or product refreshes with the new processor, the N470, which will be identical to the current 1.66GHz N450 but get bumped to a speed of 1.83GHz, according to a source familiar with the announcement.

Microsoft's SideWinder X4 reviewed: a decent choice for the budget gamer's

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Microsoft's anti-ghosting claims were recently put to the test by the good folks over at Tom's Guide, and if you've been holding off on pulling the trigger to make sure it really lives up to the hype, you can finally cut loose and part ways with your hard-earned Greenbacks -- maybe, anyway. For those unaware, Microsoft designed the SideWinder X4 to handle up to 26 key presses at once (it's a "pro gamer" thing, we're told), but it also allows for macro recording and profile / mode switching. According to the critics, the X4 is a step backwards in terms of design, particularly when compared to the flagship SideWinder X6(which can be had for around $40 right now). Essentially, they could only really recommend it for those that actually do have ghosting issues when gaming, though they confess that said crowd is a relatively tiny one. But hey, don't take our word for it -- hit the source link and discover the truth for yourself.

Dell Announces New 'Mini 5' is the matriarch for future 'family of tablets'

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We speculated last month that the Mini 5 might be Dell’s answer to the Apple iPad. It looks like Dell isn’t interested in releasing just one tablet computer - they’re ready to start a whole collection.

According to Wired, Dell’s general manager of the tablet computer division, Neeraj Choubey, said the computer company is going to produce “a family of tablets.”

He also doesn’t seem to be showing any fear of Apple and its hyped tablet computer, referring to it as a gadget for people who “have a handbag or a murse or whatever.” (I happen to respect the murse, but maybe that’s just me.)

One weakness for Dell is that the Mini 5 tablet computer will come with only a 5-inch screen, compared to the iPad’s 9.7-inch display. Wired reports that Dell plans to scale up the screen size with future editions.

But the Mini 5 has some features that the iPad doesn’t have, namely a built-in camera and it can make phone calls. So much for the iPad being an extra-large iPhone.

One point we can’t compare yet is price, as Dell hasn’t specified any figures yet except that it will be “competitive.” If the iPad is coming out in April (late March in the UK), Dell come up with some definite information fast if they really want to stay competitive.

Shuttle's super-slim XS35 media PC with Nvidia’s Ion 2 graphics can be mounted behind a flat screen

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For being tucked inside a case that’s just 1.3 inches thick, the specs for Shuttle’s new XS35, debuting at next week’s CeBIT expo, aren’t half-bad. Of course, it’s no surprise that this media PC runs an Intel Atom processor (the dual-core D510)—the lifeblood of nearly every nettop—but it also includes Nvidia’s Ion 2 graphics (in the form of a GT218 graphics card).

In addition to a 2.5-inch hard drive, the XS35 somehow manages to squeeze in a DVD burner. Connectivity includes HDMI output, five USB ports, multi-format memory-card reader, and, sadly, only a wired Internet jack.

Perhaps the XS35’s coolest feature is also its most perplexing. It’s small enough that it can be installed behind a flat panel display. How convenient it is to access those ports and the optical drive once it’s mounted, however, is the currently unanswered question. Also unknown at this time is the price, though Shuttle says the PC will be available in Q2 2010.

Nvidia's All New next-generation GPU arrives in March to challenge Ati's Radeon's 5800 series

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Nvidia’s next-generation GeForce GF100 (aka Fermi) GPUs for Windows 7 desktops will finally be available starting March 26. Nvidia will launch its first DirectX 11 GPUs, the GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470, at a gaming convention in Boston.

Nvidia decided to tip its hand earlier this week after a couple moves generated confusion. First, on Monday Nvidia announced three GeForce GT 300 series GPUs. The company had billed this as a “major announcement,” but these turned out to be renamed versions of existing GT 200 series GPUs, and available only in new PCs, not in retail add-in-boards. Many hardware enthusiasts and tech journalists had assumed that the Fermi GPUs would be the GeForce GT 300 series. Then listings for GeForce GTX 480 boards started popping up on a retail site (don’t try ordering one).

The extent to which the GF100 has been delayed is a matter of debate, but it has certainly had a long gestation period. Nvidia first discussed Fermi at its GPU Technology Conference in September 2009, where the company emphasized features tailored more for high-performance computing than for gaming. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Nvidia demonstrated what looked like production-level boards on a handful of DirectX 11 games and benchmarks, but still provided few details.

Part of the reason the GF100 has taken so long, as Nvidia engineers have hinted, is that designing a large, complex GPU that is equally suited to both general-purpose computing and 3D gaming isn’t easy (just ask Intel). Fermi is an ambitious undertaking with up to 512 cores and a total of around 2 billion transistors But the GF100 has also been hindered by manufacturing issues. Both AMD and Nvidia use the same semiconductor foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, to manufacture their most advanced GPUs on the latest 40nm technology. TSMC has admitted to trouble getting its 40nm process up and running.

This has clearly affected both AMD and Nvidia. AMD has had lots of time to work out the kinks with 40nm technology. The company launched its first 40nm GPU, the Radeon HD 4770, in April 2008. A couple months later, AMD and TSMC showed off the first 40nm DirectX 11 GPUs, and in September AMD released the ATI Radeon 5800 series. Since then AMD has filled out the line and during the holidays it sold 2 million DirectX 11 GPUs, but executives said they could’ve sold more were it not for manufacturing glitches. This week a TSMC executive said the 40nm manufacturing issues had been resolved, and the foundry planned to double its capacity on that node this year. Separately Nvidia CFO David White said the manufacturing issues would be fully resolved around the middle of the year when Fermi-based boards will be available in volume.

Because of its size and complexity–along with the 40nm manufacturing challenges–there’s some question whether Nvidia will be able to sell these Fermi boards in any large numbers. I’ll leave that debate to others. My only interest is what kind of numbers a GeForce GTX 480 can put up. This isn’t just an issue for gamers. An increasing number of consumer and professional applications are tapping into the GPU to speed-up tasks such as video encoding that can be handled by lots of cores in parallel. At this point, no one outside Nvidia really knows. My guess: the GeForce GTX 480 will do enough to allow Nvidia to claim the fastest single GPU, compared to the Radeon 5870, though it’s not likely to beat out the Radeon 5970, which puts two of the Cypress 5800 series GPUs on a single board. There’s plenty of room for Nvidia to split the difference–graphics cards based on the Radeon 5870 currently start at around $400, while the dual-GPU 5970s with 2GB of graphics memory start around $650.

In about a month we’ll know just what kind of fight Fermi has in it. I look forward to testing out the first GTX 480 boards.

Asus Launches All New UL30Vt less than 1-inch comes with Nvidia Optimus Technology switchable graphics.

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New member of Asus UL (a.k.a UnLimited) series, the UL30Vt comes equipped with two spectacular specs, above all, to impress you: The so-called “ASUS GraphiX Boost” feature which ASUS quotes allows you to switch between a dedicated NVIDIA® GeForce® G210M graphics card for graphically intensive applications, and Intel® GMA X4500MHD integrated graphics options for better energy savings; whereas, the “ASUS Turbo33 Technology” enhances system Performance up to 33% by integrating hardware and software. Other specs include a 13.3″ 1366×768 LED backlight display with 16:9 aspect ratio, a choice of dual (Core 2 Duo SU7300) or single (Celeron SU2300) core Intel processors, up to 4GB of DDR3-1066 memory, up to 500GB of 5,400-RPM HDD storage, a choice of four- or eight-cell batteries.

ASUS New Eee PC 1018P, 1016P and 1015P netbooks leaked before CeBIT

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It looks like Asus will have three new netbooks to debut at the CeBITtradeshow in Germany next week, as photos and details on the Eee PC 1018P, 1016P and 1015P have leaked to the web.

The trio of Asus Eee PC netbooks share some similarities, including 10-inch screens and perhaps Intel Pine Trail Atom processors.

As for some of their individual qualities, here’s the breakdown:

Eee PC 1015P (pictured above) Matte display, Chiclet-style keyboard, Aluminum body, Built-in webcam, 14 hours of battery life (with Wi-Fi turned off)

Eee PC 1016P: Chiclet-style keyboard, Aluminum chassis, 14 hours of battery life

Eee PC 1018P: Aluminum chassis, Integrated fingerprint reader, USB 3.0, 0.7-inch thin frame, 10 hours of battery life

No word on release dates or pricing, or anything else really official, but some of that should change at CeBIT next week

[Image via Blogeee]

Acer launching New thin, Technology : Calpella-based notebooks this summer?

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The progression of ever-faster notebooks seems to have dwindled, but the quest for thinner and lighter goes on. Acer is said to be finding the balance between those two goals with its next suite of thin performers, starting with a range of mid- and high-end portables based on Intel's Calpella series of processors, the Nehalem spin-off that we haven't heard much about lately. Sizes are said to be 13-, 14-, and 15-inches, all will be manufactured by Wistron, and all said to be one inch thin at their thinnest point -- hopefully not much thicker elsewhere if they want to turn heads. These higher-performing machines will eventually phase out Acer's CULV offerings, which apparently have had unimpressive sales thanks to a perceived lack of performance by consumers. We can't imagine where they got that idea...

Smartbook Logo CULV laptop debut's among smartbooks at CeBIT

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Smartbook AG, a German computer company, is ready to debut its latest creation, the Smartbook Logo, at CeBIT in Hanover next week. But don’t get confused because this isn’t a smartbook.

The name of this laptop already has a lot of tech bloggers puzzled ahead of the tech trade show in Germany next week.

Part of what makes up a smartbook is a 3G UMTS modem, a long battery life and an ultra-portable design (lightweight, shell design, etc.). Well, the Smartbook Logo has all of those qualities, but its advertised by Smartbook AG as a laptop powered by an Intel CULV processor.

It gets more confusing as Qualcomm has a line of Lenovo smartbooks, which aren’t allowed to be referred to as smartbooks in Germany without a mention of Smartbook AG, according to the ruling of a German court. Gee whiz.

Back to the Smartbook, just so you can get an idea of what this gadget really is, here’s some stats: 11.6 inch display (1366 x 768 resolution), Windows 7 Home Premium, 250GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, HDMI output, 8 hours of battery life, 2.86 pounds

And unlike a lot of gadgets gearing up for CeBIT debuts, we actually know a price already on this one, set at €699 ($947). But there isn’t a definite release date as of now.

Viliv Launches New S10 Blade netbook features multi-touch swivel screen; starts at $699

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Previously debuted at CES 2010, the Viliv S10 Blade is back in the news again as its gearing up for an official release with an update on pricing.

Probably trying to avoid getting lost in the growing mix of tablet computer news, Viliv will start selling the S10 Blade at $699, whose signature quality is that swivel-ready display. However, given how much can be configured and upgraded on the S10 (especially a sore point about the operating system), pricing is still somewhat of a mystery.

Here is what we know about what’s in store with the Viliv S10: 10.1-inch HD LCD swivel display with resistive multi-touch panel (1366 x 768 resolution), Windows XP Home or Home Premium, Intel Atom 1.6 GHz Z530 or 2 GHz Z550 processors, Either 60 GB hard drive or 32/64GB SSD drive, 1 GB of RAM, HSPA 3G, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, SDHC slot, Two USB 2.0 ports, One mini USB port, VGA-out, Built-in camera, 10 hours of battery life

There’s no release date information yet - except that it will be “available soon.” But given the uncertainty of pricing and the likelihood that the higher-end features will cost a lot more, how many of you are excited about this gadget?

Microsoft's Super-Precise BlueTrack Mice Now Cost Under $30 With Three New Models

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When Microsoft introduced its BlueTrack mice technology in late 2008, they promised laser precision on any surface—whether that be carpet, wood or the belly of a dog. Now you can grab three new models for under thirty bucks.

The three models—the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500, Wireless Mouse 2000 and Comfort Mouse 4500—all have the same BlueTrack tech, but differ in size and transceivers. The Mobile Mouse 3500 has a nano-transceiver and rubber grips on the side for extra support when surfing, whereas the 2000 model is larger, with a snap-in transceiver. As the name suggests, the Comfort Mouse 4500 is probably the most cushioned of the lot, but actually has one (if you ask me) hindrance—a wire. It's the first BlueTrack mouse with a wire though, so obviously they agree with me.

While the 2000 model comes in just plain ol' black and will be available in March, the 3500 is in the mysterious "lock ness gray" and tantalizing "dragon fruit pink," and won't be seen until April, with the March-bound 4500 aimed at the kids in "sea blue," "poppy red" and "strawberry pink." [Microsoft]

Adobe taking a pass on Flash 10.1 for WinMo 6.5 & will go straight to 7

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An Adobe employee over in the company's official forums dropped a bomb earlier this month that they've now decided to pass on releasing Flash 10.1 for Windows Mobile 6.5, instead moving straight to 7. The official explanation is that "WinMo6.5 does not support some of the critical APIs that we need," but frankly, this sounds like a load of crap -- since the project was announced last year, there's no way it took them this long to figure out that an official cut for 6.5 wouldn't be technically possible. If we had to guess, the real justification also explains why Adobe has been so quiet on the matter: 6.5's now viewed as a dead-end platform since 7 represents a clean break for Microsoft, and the company feels like it can't be bothered to invest the necessary time, energy, and money to see the project through. In all likelihood, Adobe was briefed on 7 prior to its official announcement at MWC, and that's when the decision was made. Of course, that's all pure speculation on our part -- but regardless, don't get your hopes up, HD2owners (unless you get an upgrade, that is).

Desktop PC all components get rated for power efficiency, Intel rules the roost

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With all the antitrust noise, threats to AMD, and conflicts with NVIDIA, it's hard to feel too charmed with Intel at the moment. But, if you're looking for the best combination of performance and power consumption possible, you'll have to swallow any animosity and put an Intel inside, with an efficiency piece at bit-tech.net finding that chips from that manufacturer were, on average, considerably more efficient than their AMD counterparts. That's just part of the story, the site testing everything from memory to power supplies and finding the best compromise of performance and efficiency. It's perhaps no surprise that high-efficiency PSUs trump older, hotter ones, but you might not expect to learn that desktop SSDs offer barely any improvement over their 5,400RPM platter-based brethren. Follow the article's advice and you can shed 104 watts without losing a single 3DMark point -- though you may shed quite a few dollars in the process.

ATI busts out WIth New Radeon HD 5830 Which covers all bases

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Whether you wanna call it the affordable high end or the really supercharged midrange, ATI has decided that there is a space to be filled between its scorching 5850/70 cards and the only somewhat slower5770 SKU. So let's all meet the $239 HD 5830, shall we? As is par for the Evergreen course, it's a 40nm DirectX 11 card, and while it matches the 2.15 billion transistor count of the 5850, the new contender makes do with only 16 ROPs and 1,120 stream processors. To compensate for that processing loss, the core clock is raised to 800MHz while maintaining the 1GHz memory speed of the elder 5850. If this sounds like the 5830 will basically be composed of 5850 chips that didn't quite make the high grade, good, because that's exactly what's happening. Internet reviewers have already had some time to play around with ATI's latest card, and if we can draw a consensus, it would be that while the performance is pretty much spot on between its nearest siblings, the price is that little bit too steep to make the HD 5830 an easy recommendation.

Read - AnandTech
Read - HotHardware
Read - HardOCP
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - ExtremeTech

NVIDIA GeForce GT 340 highlights introduction of 300-series cards with GT320, GT330 are powerful enough to matter

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NVIDIA has just debuted a new line of entry-level GeForce 300-seriesgraphics cards without much pomp and circumstance. Why all the secrecy? Well, they’re not really all that much different than previous models.

The new series consists of the GeForce GT 320, GT 330 and GT 340(pictured above). However, the trio appear to be OEM-only and are being accused of just refashioned GT 200-series cards.

Here’s the specs on the new cards, and you can decide for yourself.

GT 320 72 CUDA processing cores, 1GB of RAM, 540MHz GPU, 1,302MHz processor speed. GT 330, 96 or 112 CUDA processing cores, 128-bit, 192-bit or 256-bit memory interface, Up to 2GB of DDR2 or DDR3 memory, 550MHz GPU, 1,340MHz processor speed. GT 340, 96 CUDA processing cores, 512MB or 1GB of GDDR3 memory, 1,340MHz processor speed, 550MHz GPU, Connectivity: DVI, VGA, HDMI.

NVIDIA continues to rebrand 2xx-series up to 3xx-series All new Upcoming Powerful Graphic Cards.

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Today sees NVIDIA release three new OEM graphics cards … although they’re not really new cards at all.

The three cards in question are the GeForce GT 340, GT 330 and GT 320. But let’s take a closer look … The GT 340 has a GPU humming along at 500MHz, 96 stream processors, 512MB or 1GB of RAM clocked at 1,700MHz, and DirectX 10.1 support. That sounds familiar … a lot like the GeForce GT 240.

Then there’s the GT 330. A 550MHz GPU, 1GB or 2GB of either DDR2 or DDR3 RAM and either 96 or 112 processor cores clocked to a maximum of 1,340MHz. This card is similar to a GeForce 9600 GSO and GeForce 9800 GT. Finally, the GT 320, a card that has a GPU running at 540MHz, 1GB of RAM running at 790MHz, 72 processor cores and DirectX 10.1 support. This doesn’t correspond directly to any card, but it’s still a mashup of 2xx-series technology.

Flash 10.1 beta 3 released, adds support for Intel GMA 500 and Broadcom Crystal HD chips.

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Rejoice, owners of netbooks with Intel GMA 500 graphics: Flash Player 10.1 Beta 3 is here, complete with hardware video acceleration for your machines. That should make Hulu and YouTube HD usable on machines like the Sony VAIO P and VAIO X, the Nokia Booklet 3G, and the previous-generation Dell Mini 10. The new build also bring support for the Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator found in Pine Trail Atom machines like the newest Dell Mini 10 and HP Mini 210-- support we found sorely lacking when we reviewed the Dell. We just tried it out on our review HP Mini 210 and it managed 720p YouTube just fine, although 1080p was a no-go -- we're waiting on some updated Broadcom drivers though, so don't take that as gospel quite yet. We'll have much more on that in our full Mini 210 review; for now you should all get downloading and let us know how it's going in comments.