Intel ships 160GB X25-M SSD
Okay, so maybe Intel’s running a bit behind schedule, but it’s not like you can afford this thing anyway. The outfit has just announced that its 2.5-inch X25-M SSD is finally shipping in a 160GB flavor, though it politely declined to insult us with a presumably stratospheric sticker. Of note, the 1.8-inch X18-M counterpart should join it on select store shelves “next month.” Hmm, are we feeling a joint debut with a gaming notebook and / or ultraportable at CES? Yes, yes we are. Read
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Nvidia releases Ion Platform for Intel Atom
We all know that you can’t trick someone into falling in love with you (unless in you’re in a movie with Kate Hudson — in which case the results are sure to be hilarious), but it looks like the kids at NVIDIA are looking to do just that. It’s been previously rumored that NVIDIA’s been working on Atom support in its MCP79 chipset, and now the company’s in Taiwan, trying to rally support for a crazy scheme whereby PC makers will demand that Intel begin selling them Atom CPUs without bundling in their own graphics chipsets. And if that weren’t enough, the GPU maker releases their Ion platform today, designed to replace Intel’s graphics chipset on Atom systems. There’s no word on how Intel will react to these saucy moves, but we’re guessing that at the very least the chipmaker is a little flattered.
Read – Nvidia working with PC makers to force Intel to open the Atom platform
Read – Nvidia Goes Netbooks: Releases Ion Graphics Platform for Intel Atom
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NVIDIA chipset support rumored to be coming to Atom-based nettops
We’ve already heard about NVIDIA’s apparent interest in getting into the netbook space, despite the fact that it dropped its own grand designs with VIA not too long ago, and it now looks like it could be wrangling its way into other Atom-based territory as well, at least if DigiTimes’ latest reporting is to be believed. Supposedly, NVIDIA has been working on getting its MCP79 chipset to support Intel’s Atom processors, but it’s apparently only focusing on desktop-bound nettops during the “initial period,” and leaving the more plentiful netbooks for another day. Unfortunately, there aren’t many more specifics than that, but ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI are apparently welcoming the partnership, and saying that it’ll give them “more pricing flexibility.”
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Core i7 Benchmarks? Intel uses Monsters.
Seriously, what age are we in that we can’t have have proper benchmarks? We need scary monsters that scare the previous one in order to get people to buy it? Reminds me of AMD vs. Intel. Check out my version:
Josh’s Verdict: Monsters help sales? We’ll see. See it here on NewEgg.com.
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Intel VP says netbooks are "fine for an hour"
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New Intel Core i7 Computers roundup: Part 2, the Enthusiast Computers
You read our New Core i7 computers roundup for your mainstream brands , but are you man enough for the following enthusiast Core i7 computers from lesser known (but not necessarily worst) computer? iBuyPower Paladin F970 Read - iBuyPower Velocity Micro may not offer quite the same extravagant cases that some other manufacturers seem to be so fond of, but it sure does take care of the innards of its systems, and its new Edge Z-55 system is no exception. As with all of Velocity Micro’s systems, this one is fully configurable (including options for all three new Core i7 processors), or you can simply opt for the “Launch Edition,” which includes the base Core i7 920 processor, a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics card, 4GB of RAM and, last but not least, the company’ founder’s signature. The early reviews of the system also look to be pretty positive across the board, with it snagging CNET’s Editor’s Choice award and some similarly high praise from the folks at HotHardware. Read - Velocity Micro We actually got our hands on this particular system during the initial round of Core i7 madness and came away suitably impressed, and it’s now finally out there for anyone with the necessary cash to call their own. Of particular note, this is quite possibly the only Core i7-based system to offer an HD DVD option, which comes in the form of a Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drive, and will no doubt please those still out there hunting for some high-def bargains. Otherwise, you can expect the usual full range of customization options or, if you’re less adventuresome, you can opt for the default configuration listed below. Read - Falcon Northwest While most manufactures are pitching their Core i7 systems at gamers, Puget Systems is taking a slightly different tact and offering both gaming and video editing systems based around the processor. Each of those, of course, are fully configurable, and they each come with a free copy of Far Cry 2, which we’re sure will be just enough to push someone, somewhere over the edge. Core i7 Video Editing Computer (base config) Read - Puget Systems Read - CyberPower CyberPower’s system couldn’t quite top Smooth Creations’ latest Hellcat system in TweakTown’s tests, however, with it delivering the most impressive benchmark scores they’ve seen to date, and an equally stratospheric price tag: $5,400. That’ll get you nothing but the top end components, including an overclocked Core i7-965 processor, a speedy 300GB boot hard drive and two 1TB drives in a RAID array for some added storage, plus an elaborate Danger Den cooling system to keep everything from exploding — the whole thing also comes packed in an actual wooden crate to prevent any shattered dreams that could possibly occur a shipping mishap.
iBuyPower Paladin F860-a, F860-n, and F970
Key specs:
iBuyPower Paladin F860-a & F860-n
Velocity Micro Edge Z-55
Key specs:
Read- CNET
Read - HotHardware
Falcon Northwest Mach V
Key specs: (base configuration)
Puget Systems Core i7 Gaming Computer, Core i7 Video Editing Computer
Key specs:
Core i7 Gaming Computer (base config)
CyberPower Black Pearl Core i7 965 EE Gaming System
Key specs:
Read- TweakTown
Smooth Creations Hellcat Core i7 965 EE Gaming System
Key specs:
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New Intel Core i7 Computers roundup
Alienware
Now that Intel’s mighty Core i7 is all out in the open, it’s no shock to see a wave of gaming rigs come along boasting said chip. Following in the footsteps of Dell and Gateway comes Alienware with the Area-51 X-58 — a beast that’s a leap above (in terms of power and price) the recently revealed Area-51 750i. Serious gamers can select from the Core i7 920 (2.66GHz), 940 (2.93GHz) or Core i7 Extreme (3.2GHz) along with dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, one or two 2GB ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2s, up to 2TB of HDD space, an optional dual-layer Blu-ray burner and the usual complement of ports. The sky’s the limit once you really start speccing it out, but the ball gets rolling at “just” $1,649. View
Dell
Well, the wait is over — we’ve got the skinny here on new Dell systems, and if you feel so moved you can even go over to their website and order one up right this very minute. The XPS Studio desktop’s base $949 model boasts 2GB memory, 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics, and 500GB storage, while the top-end $1,499 configuration features a 512MB2 ATI Radeon HD 4850, 6GB memory, 750GB storage, and comes bundled with a 24-inch S2409W Flat Panel monitor. For you game-playing types, the XPS 730x updates the popular XPS 730 line with the new processor, up to 6GB DDR3 memory, updated thermal monitoring system and chassis and either ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX280 1024MB graphics — starting at $2,599. As you’d expect, all systems ship with Vista Home Premium Edition. So, how do you feel? Better? We hoped you would.
Read - Dell Studio XPS Desktop
Read - Dell XPS 730x Gaming System
Gateway
Although we actually got to see just how potent the Core i7 was way back in September (at least, that’s what was hinted at “off the record”), the chip had yet to go on sale until this week. Now that it’s had its formal launch party, Gateway’s joining the masses in offering up two new FX Series PCs with Intel’s freshest silicon. For the gamer on a budget, the FX6800-01 gets going at just $1,249.99 and packs a Core i7-920 processor, 3GB of DDR3 RAM and an ATI Radeon HD4850 video card. For those with cheddar to burn, the $2,999.99 FX6800-05 steps it up with a Core i7-940, ATI Radeon HD4870 X2 graphics card and 6GB of DDR3 memory. The high-end beast also includes a 1TB hard drive plus an 80GB SSD, and both models can be outfitted with aBlu-ray drive should you choose. For the complete specs list, have a glance at the full release just after the break.
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Intel Core i7 CPUs reappear on NewEgg
Remember those Core i7 processors that showed up – ever so briefly — on NewEgg a few days ago, only to promptly disappear, leaving us to ponder what we’d done wrong? Well, even though they’re not slated to officially hit shelves until November 17th, we’ve heard from a slew of vigilant tipsters (hipsters?) that they’re back. The prices are the same as we saw before, but you might want to check ‘em out yourself right away, just in case they disappear again and you’re forced to wait until tomorrow.
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