In general, bigger is better. But not always. Sometimes, smaller is better. But sometimes, smaller can lead to bigger, which is definitely better. Got all that? If you're a memory expert, you probably have no trouble understanding that, as the smaller the process technologies become, the bigger flash storage...Read more...
When AMD released its second quarter financial results last month it didn't say much about server volumes or market share, save to note that its performance "met expectations." The major news of the call turned out to be the company's decision to pull Bobcat's launch into 2010 and push Llano into 2011, which defrayed...Read more...
When Apple launched the iPad last April, Qualcomm's Snapdragon QSD8250 was a popular point of comparison. The results, if you were a Qualcomm fan, were a bit disappointing. Clock-for-clock, the 1GHz A4 generally whomped all over the 1GHz Snapdragon. To be fair, this could also be the result of unoptimized software or...Read more...
Much of the discussion on the iPad's purported disruptive effect on the computer industry has focused on devices like Amazon's Kindle. A recent announcement from Asus, however, indicates the iPad has hit the netbook industry hard. This news tops off a rather wretched Q2 for the company—total sales revenue was $2.29 billion, down 6.6...Read more...
Some signaled the death knell of security firms like Symantec and McAfee after Microsoft released its free Microsoft Security Essentials product. That hasn't been the case, however, and Intel sure doesn't feel that way, or it wouldn't have bought security giant McAfee for $7.68 billion, as it did on Thursday. The deal is all-cash, and...Read more...
Intel may be the world's largest chipmaker, but when it comes to processors found in consumer electronics devices, the company has struggled to compete against ARM. In an effort to expand the use of its Atom microprocessors in consumer electronics devices, Intel has purchased Texas Instruments' cable modem chip division. Intel to Acquire Texas...Read more...
Intel is expanding its line of energy-efficient Intel Atom processors with the introduction of two new Atom processors. The new 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor D425 single-core and D525 dual-core will support the new memory technology known as DDR3 SODIMM (double-data-rate three small outline dual in-line memory modules). In addition the processors...Read more...
The MSI XPower series of motherboards is clearly designed to curry favor with overclocking enthusiasts and the high-end gamers Asus has targeted with its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. The XPower packs full support for all the latest buzzwords and capabilities, but MSI is also claiming to offer certain unique features that other manufacturers...Read more...
The MSI XPower series of motherboards is clearly designed to curry favor with overclocking enthusiasts and the high-end gamers Asus has targeted with its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. The XPower packs full support for all the latest buzzwords and capabilities, but MSI is also claiming to offer certain unique features that other manufacturers...Read more...
Until now, if you wanted something in a six-core from Intel, the 980X was the only flavor of the day. However, we just got in a sample of a new 32nm Gulftown-based Core i7 six-core that is slotted for a somewhat more palatable price point of $885. Clocked at 3.2GHz, the new Core i7 970 will afford you a bit more financial breathing...Read more...
There's little question, like the sun rising and setting each day, that when Intel launches their latest top-of-the-line processor, a stinging four-figure price point awaits. It seems like forever that Intel's latest flagship desktop chips drop into the market at anywhere from $999 - $1100 or so at their time of launch. ...Read more...
The Federal Trade Commission can close the books on its case against Intel, the world's largest chip maker, after the two sides were able to hammer out a settlement. Intel stood accused of anticompetitive practices, which is legal speak for being a bully in the marketplace, and under terms of the agreement, the Santa Clara chip maker must...Read more...
We first laid our hands on the Classified SR-2 at CES 2010 and were recently given the opportunity to take one for a spin around the lab. While preparing to test the board, however, a couple of important points led us in a somewhat different direction than a straight-up motherboard review. The EVGA Classified SR-2’s requirements are...Read more...
Every once in a while a product comes along that really gets us worked into a frenzy. Typically, the latest and greatest processors and graphics cards generate a lot of buzz around here, but some other components aren’t always as enticing for one reason or another, like motherboards for example. Don’t get us wrong, we love a great...Read more...
It didn't take very long for Intel to establish its dominance in the netbook market, with nearly every netbook release coming equipped with an Atom processor inside. Now the Santa Clara chip maker is turning its head towards the tablet space, and understandably so. While netbook sales are showing little signs of slowing down. tablets appear...Read more...
Late last week, the Special Master in the Intel antitrust cases ruled against combining a wide range of complaints into a single class-action suit. The decision has been broadly seen as a victory for Intel—it's one of the few judicial or administrative rulings that have gone the CPU manufacturers way in the past five years—and...Read more...
To commemorate the Independence Day holiday, we announced an exciting sweepstakes along with our friends at Cyberpower PC, Intel, Kingston and Cooler Master in which we planned to give away a custom, fully loaded Intel Core i7-powered system, complete with 4GB of RAM, a GeForce graphics card, and a an Intel SSD--among numerous other goodies....Read more...
We hear about "world's best" in the PC category nearly every week. There's the smallest, quickest, thinnest, thickest, you get the idea. But now Stealth PC what they're calling the world's smallest rugged PC, and we are having a hard time arguing the claim. This pint-sized PC is barely larger than a standard ink pen in length, and at just...Read more...
To commemorate the July 4th Idependance Day holiday, in conjunction with our good friends at CyberPower, Intel, Kingston, and CoolerMaster, we're giving away yet another full, quad-core powered system! This time around, you could win a full Intel Core i7-875K-based system, complete with a GeForce GTS 250 1GB graphics card, an Intel SSD and...Read more...
Around seven months ago, we were able to review one of the more advanced netbooks out at the time, the Eee PC 1201N. It was one of the first netbooks to integrate a graphics chip known as the NVIDIA Ion. The Eee PC 1201PN retains many of the same features and nearly the exact same form factor as the original, but it utilizes the next-generation...Read more...
It's been said for years by industry veterans: a lot can happen in a very short window of time when you're dealing with technology. As soon as one piece of cutting-edge tech makes it to market, the next big thing is just days, weeks or months away. In the netbook realm, that hasn't applied as much. Netbooks haven't evolved nearly as quickly...Read more...
It's a fact of life that the consumer-level desktops and notebooks see the bulk of the limelight, but we'd be nowhere without the servers behind the scenes. Those machines that power our Internet interactions, our e-mail hosts and our late-night deathmatch sessions deserve a little credit as well, and Lenovo's new...Read more...