Shuttle intros tiny nettop with dual-core Atom, Ion 2

Shuttle has introduced a new ultra-compact nettop PC, measuring less than 1.5 inches wide. The pint-sized computer, branded the Barebone XS35, has a VESA mounting interface so it can be stowed away behind flat panel displays. Despite being in the "1-litre class," the system is designed for use in home theater setups, and is fully capable of pumping 1080p video or 3D graphics.

Under the hood, the XS35 is powered Intel's 1.66GHz dual-core Atom D510 processor and NM10 express chipset, as well as Nvidia's GT218 Ion 2 discrete graphics chip. It also has HDMI and VGA outputs, five USB ports, Ethernet, audio jacks, a multi-format card reader, a Kensington lock, a 2.5-inch hard drive, and a slimline optical drive. What's more, the system is passively cooled, and thus virtually noiseless.


If you happen to be attending this year's CeBIT, you can catch the XS35 on display in Hall 17, Stand G68. Shuttle plans to have the device on store shelves in the second quarter, but a price hasn't be revealed.

AMD's six-core Thuban CPU to launch April 26?

Only a few days ago rumors surfaced that AMD's 890GX and 880G chipsets would debut on March 1 and April 26. Now, word has trickled from Sunnyvale that the company's six-core Thuban processor will be showcased at CeBIT 2010 (March 2 to 6) and corresponding with the aforesaid 880G launch, OCWorkbench claims Thuban will also be released on April 26. Previous speculation suggested Thuban would appear in May.

AMD has kept a tight lid on its new hexa-core processor, so next week's unveiling should be interesting. To recap what we've heard about the chip: it will land in three iterations branded Phenom II X6 1035T, 1055T, and 1075T, all of which are 45nm-based and compatible with AM2+ and AM3 sockets, so they should work with existing motherboards -- though, a BIOS update might be required.

Earlier this month, we also heard that Thuban will have some form of hardware-based dynamic speed boost technology called "C-state performance boost," which would act similarly to the Turbo Boost feature found in some Core i5 and i7 processors.

Asus releases two notebooks with Nvidia Optimus

The first round of laptops armed with Nvidia's automated graphics switching technology, Optimus, have reached the US. The Asus N61JV-X2 and N72JV-X1 are the first two of five laptops the company plans to launch. The two units bear many similarities, and are even priced equally at $900.

The Asus N61JV-X2 weighs 6.5lbs and features a 16-inch LED display, a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5-430M processor and H55M chipset, 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM (max 8GB), Nvidia GeForce GT325M graphics with 1GB DDR3 VRAM, a 500GB 7200RPM HDD, a DVD drive, 802.11b/g/n, a 2-megapixel camera, and Windows 7 Home Premium x64.


Meanwhile, the N72JV-X1 has a larger 17.3-inch display, a 2.26GHz Core i3-350M, weighs about 9.30lbs, and most of the remaining hardware is identical to the N61JV-X2. Additional specs include an Express Card 34 slot, gigabit Ethernet, a few USB 2.0 ports alongside one USB 3.0, an eSATA port, an eight-in-one card reader, VGA and HDMI-out, and a six-cell battery.

Corsair starts shipping Nova and Reactor SSD lines

Hot on the heels of launching the high-end RealSSD series earlier this week, Corsair has begun shipping two more affordable lines of solid state drives: the Nova and Reactor. Both series utilize MLC NAND flash memory, are available in similar capacities, and come with Windows 7 TRIM support. However, different controller chips under the hood will slightly set them apart in terms of price and performance.

The Corsair Nova is built around the venerable Indilinx Barefoot controller, featuring 64MB of cache, and comes in either 64 or 128GB capacities. Speeds are a bit faster on this series, with the larger model reaching up to 270MB/sec read speeds and 190MB/sec write speeds. The 60GB version maintains the same read performance but has slightly slower write speeds as it is rated up to just 110MB/s.


Meanwhile, the Reactor series sees JMicron crawling back into the mainstream SSD market with its new JMF612 controller. Corsair lists a 60GB version capable of 250MB/sec read and 110MB/s write speeds, while a 120GB model bumps write throughput to 170MB/s. Hoping to dispel any concerns and bad memories, the company actually stressed that the JMF612 "incorporates 128MB of DDR2 cache memory for stutter-free performance." It also included a USB 2.0 port for added connectivity besides 3.0Gbps SATA.

As far as pricing is concerned, the Reactor SSDs are priced at around $185 and $349 for the 60GB and 120GB drives, respectively, while the Nova series comes in at around $199 for the 64GB and $375 for 128GB model. All four drives are shipping now and come with a two-year warranty.

New Asus Eee PCs leaked, 1015P, 1016P and 1018P

Details of three new Asus Eee PC models have leaked. The systems are expected to appear at CeBIT 2010, which will kick off next Tuesday and run through Saturday. All three -- the 1015P, 1016P, and 1018P -- carry 10.1-inch displays, aluminum bodies, and are presumably powered by Intel's recently launched Pine Trail platform.

The Eee PC 1015P seems to be a refresh of the existing 1005P, with a similar matte display, chiclet-style keyboard, webcam, and signature. It now features a larger touchpad and has a battery life of up to 14 hours with wireless disabled.


An image of the 1016P isn't available, so it's difficult to say exactly what to expect. Blogeee.net says it will be business-oriented to compete with notebooks from Lenovo and others. It too has an aluminum hull and a 14-hour run time.

The 1018P is reportedly Asus' thinnest netbook to date, measuring only 18mm thick. Known features include a 10-hour battery life, an integrated fingerprint scanner, and USB 3.0. Prices and availability aren't available yet, but more information should surface next week.

Intel's first Gulftown six-core processor listed in Europe

We are not expecting Intel's first Gulftown processor to become available until sometime next month. However, as it is becoming increasingly common, several online retailers jumped the gun and have already listed the six-core part, detailing its price and full specs before an official announcement is even made.

According to the listings, the Core i7 980 Extreme Edition features six 32nm cores clocked at 3.33GHz, 12 threads, 12MB of L3 cache, and a maximum Turbo Boost clock speed of 3.6GHz. It features DDR3 support up to 1066MHz and will have a maximum TDP 130W.

Alternate.at quotes a price tag of €1,099 for the Core i7 980, while others have it listed for as low as €960. For reference, Intel's current fastest desktop processor, the quad-core Core i7 975 Extreme Edition, is selling for around $970 in the U.S. market. If the company's past history is of any indication we can probably expect the Core i7 980 Extreme Edition to target the $1,000 price point.

Most of the specs were already available courtesy of the numerous leaks over the past few months, and the expected pricing is not really surprising for an Intel flagship product. However, Alternate.at does offer a more specific hint of its expected release date, quoting an "announced delivery date" of March 14, 2010.

Micron starts shipping 6Gbps Crucial RealSSD C300

Micron today begun shipping what they claim is the "industry's fastest" solid-state drive. Sold under the Crucial brand, their new RealSSD C300 uses the SATA 6Gb/s and Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) 2.1 specifications, allowing it to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 355MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 215MB/s. That's quite a bit faster than both Intel and OCZ's flagship products.


The RealSSD C300 is also backwards-compatible with the SATA 3Gb/s interface that most consumers are using today, where it supports maximum read and write speeds of 265MB/s and 215MB/s, respectively. The drives use high-speed synchronous MLC NAND flash memory, and will come in 1.8" and 2.5" form factors -- both of which will be available in 128GB and 256GB capacities.

Crucial is quoting a 1,000,000 hour MTBF rate for the drives and is backing them with a 3-year warranty. The only sticking point is the price, unsurprisingly. At either $799 for the 256GB version or $499 for 128GB, these aren't exactly a cheap upgrade, but if it's raw performance you are after then the Crucial RealSSD C300 will certainly deliver.

MSI to showcase 24-inch 3D All-In-One PC next week

It looks like MSI has plenty more up its sleeves besides the recent wave of notebooks. The company will reportedly showcase a "dazzling array" of new PCs at CeBIT 2010 next week, among which is what they are touting as the world's first large screen, full HD 3D all-in-one. The yet-unnamed model will have a 24-inch screen with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, and will be paired with 3D shutter glasses.


It looks like MSI has plenty more up its sleeves besides the recent wave of notebooks. The company will reportedly showcase a "dazzling array" of new PCs at CeBIT 2010 next week, among which is what they are touting as the world's first large screen, full HD 3D all-in-one. The yet-unnamed model will have a 24-inch screen with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, and will be paired with 3D shutter glasses.


Unfortunately that's about all the details they are sharing for now. Speculation is that it might come with a Blu-ray player to deliver the 3D content and a decent graphics card to handle some gaming, but nothing official has been announced. The Taiwanese manufacturer will also launch several other all-in-one PCs at CeBIT under the Wind Top brand, including the multi-touch capable AE2420 and AE2280, as well as the business-oriented AP1920 and AE1920 all-in-ones.

Lenovo intros six new Think-branded business computers

Lenovo has announced it will ship six new Think-branded business-minded computers next month. The company flaunts its ThinkPad X201 as the industry's fastest ultraportable laptop, the X201s as the thinnest and lightest in its product line, the X201t is the "smart tablet for business users," and the W701 and W701ds mobile workstations are the most powerful ThinkPads.


The ThinkPad X201, X201s, and X201t all have 12.1-inch displays (capacitive multitouch for the tablet), an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, Intel graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, have a range of disk and solid-state storage options, and run Windows XP or 7. The X201 and X201s offer up to 11 and 12 hours of battery life, and both weigh less than three pounds. In order of mention, prices start at $1,199, $1,599, and $1,549.

The ThinkPad W701 and W701ds workstations sport 17-inch screens, with the latter also packing a 10.6-inch display. Apart from the dual-screen, the machines are seemingly identical. Both carry either a Core i7-920 or i7-820QM processor, an Nvidia Quadro FX 3800M or FX2800M GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, an HDD or SSD, Windows XP or 7, and weigh around nine pounds. Prices start at $2,199 and $3,799.


Lenovo says its ThinkServer TS200v "goes big on features and performance" with prices kicking off under $500. It can be configured with a handful of Core i3 and i5 processors, but scales all the way down to the Pentium G6950 and Celeron G1101. Other features include a DVD drive, room for two 3.5-inch drives in RAID 0/1, gigabit Ethernet, PCI as well as PCIe X1 and x16 slots, ten USB ports, and VGA-out.

MSI intros wireless HTPC keyboard combo with accelerometer-driven mouse

MSI has introduced an interesting home theater-oriented remote, dubbed the Air Keyboard. The device is designed to be held in both hands, and the compact QWERTY keyboard is controlled with a user's thumbs. The MSI Air Keyboard is wireless, and it has an internal accelerometer that lets you direct a computer's cursor. While you navigate with in-air motions, left and right-clicks can be made with two shoulder buttons. It's almost like an Xbox controller meets the Wiimote.


The device carries a total of 80 keys, including numerous media-specific buttons, has a range of about 50 meters (164 feet), connects to virtually any Windows system with a USB dongle, and is powered by two AA batteries. It measures 14.2 x 8.8 x 3.3 inches, and weighs around 200 grams (less than half a pound). The MSI Air Keyboard is available in Germany for €79 (about $108), and it's expected to reach other markets in the coming months.

Belkin intros pricey USB 3.0 expansion cards, cables

Belkin has joined the slowly expanding list of manufacturers pushing out devices equipped with SuperSpeed USB 3.0. Naturally, hardware outfitted with the latest USB spec is fetching a premium, but Belkin's prices might deter the giddiest of early adopters. The company has launched a line of USB 3.0 products, including a PCIe add-in card, ExpressCard, as well as A-B and Micro-B cables.

Belkin claims its products can support speeds up to 180Mb/s, or about three times the transfer rate of USB 2.0. The company took a moment to cite some USB-related statistics from In-Stat and NPD, showing that there were over three billion USB-enabled devices shipped in 2008, and as of last month, Belkin was the market leader in USB connectivity.


Belkin's USB 3.0 PCIe and ExpressCard expansion cards have two ports and cost about $80, while four-foot A-B and Micro-B cables are $40, or $50 for eight feet. A six-foot USB 2.0 A-B cable can be had for a buck or less. Items should be available stateside in April, and May for Canadians.

SanDisk finally begins shipping G3 solid state drives

It's been over a year since SanDisk first announced their G3 series solid-state drives, but today the company finally began shipping them to North American and European retailers. The new SSDs are pitched as a "compelling alternative" to 7200RPM hard drives, for both home and business users, with read and write speeds topping out at 220MB/s and 120MB/s respectively.


The MLC-based drives use SanDisk's own ExtremeFFS flash management system which allegedly improves random write performance and extends the endurance of SanDisk G3 SSDs. Windows 7 owners will be able to take advantage of the OS' native TRIM support to avoid performance degradation. Of course, the drives will also work under Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux and Mac OS X systems.

Prices have taken a significant bump from the original announcement, with the 60GB model going for $230 and the 120GB version for $400 -- up from the $150 and $250 mentioned in early 2009. SanDisk made no mention of the 240GB unit that was announced last year so for now the line will apparently top at 120GB.

Nvidia announces more re-branded cards, DIY PC Kit

Nvidia's "must see" presentation of the Fermi-based GeForce GTX 480 and 470 is still over a month away, but the company has apparently cooked up a few minor announcements for us in the meantime. First off, keeping up with its increasingly common tradition of rebranding old products, Nvidia has quietly released three new OEM-only GT 300 cards: the GT 320, GT 330 and GT 340.

The GT 340 is spec-for-spec exactly the same as their lackluster GT 240 except it is only available as a GDDR5 variant. Meanwhile, the GT 320 has been upgraded with 72 CUDA cores compared to 48 for the GT 220, and the GT 330 is quoted as having either 96 or 112 CUDA cores with 256-bit, 192-bit and 128-bit variants. The new introductions join the GT 310 and 315 as part of the GeForce 300-series range.


The company also released a GeForce PC Kit with all the necessary components for beginner hobbyists to build themselves an Nvidia-branded system. This includes a MSI G31TM-P21 board, Intel Pentium E5300 CPU, GlacialTech Igloo 5058 cooler, 2GB of Corsair Value Select DDR2 667 memory, Seagate Momentus 7200.4 250GB HDD, LG DVD RW optical drive, XFX 9800GT 512MB graphics card, Ultra LifeTime series 500W PSU, a Cooler Master Elite 334 Nvidia Edition chassis and a Microsoft Basic mouse and Comfort Curve 2000 keyboard -- all for just under $500.

It even includes a screwdriver so basically all you need is a monitor to plug in once you are done with the assembly and your own operating system to install. To ease the process, Nvidia's GeForce PC Kit comes with the CPU and cooler pre-installed on the motherboard, in addition to a complete guide to building a computer system. The kit is primarily targeted at first-time PC builders, as more seasoned enthusiasts will build their own rigs anyway.

Habey launches Atom-powered fanless nettops

Habey has introduced two iterations of a new low-powered ultra-compact computer, the BIS-6620-I and BIS-6620-II. As the models indicate, both are very similar. The first features a 1.1GHz Intel Atom Z510 processor, VGA and S-Video ports, and four USB 2.0 ports (divided evenly between the front and back), while the second has a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, DVI-out, and only two USB 2.0 ports (front).


Both systems feature a fanless design and have a single SODIMM slot with support for up to 2GB of RAM, full hardware acceleration for H.264, MPEG2, MPEG4, VC1, and WMV at up to 1080p, a CompactFlash slot, an SD reader, a 1.8-inch internal SATA II drive bay, one PS/2 port, gigabit Ethernet, optional wireless, and mic and headphone jacks. They run your choice of Windows or Linux.

Measuring only 120 x 120 x 40 millimeters and weighing just over a pound, it wouldn't be difficult to find a home for the BIS-6620 nettops, but they're mountable if you're out of desk space. Pricing starts at $300.

ViewSonic debuts its first CULV notebook

Today marks the launch of ViewSonic's first CULV notebook. The VNB131 ViewBook Pro carries a 13.3-inch 1280x800 LED-backlit display, a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU7300 processor and GS45 chipset, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB HDD and Windows 7 Home Premium.

While its aluminum alloy chassis measures only an inch thick, ViewSonic found room for a DVD burner. The system ships with a six-sell battery that offers up to eight hours of use. That time can be extended to 12 hours by removing the optical drive and installing an additional three-cell battery. It isn't clear whether the extra battery is included, but I would presume not.


Input and output features include Ethernet, 802.11g/b/n, Bluetooth v2.0+EDR, VGA and HDMI-out, two USB 2.0 ports, and a seven-in-one card reader. The system also has dual single-watt speakers, a multitouch trackpad, and weighs about 1.64kg (3.61lbs). ViewSonic is currently selling the VNB131 ViewBook Pro online for $949, and plans to launch more ULV laptops next quarter.

MSI intros gaming notebook with Radeon HD 5730

MSI has announced a new G-series laptop fully equipped for gaming and other media-intensive tasks. The 16-inch GE600 features an Intel Core i5 processor and HM55 chipset, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, an ATI Radeon HD 5730 with 1GB of DDR3 VRAM, 250GB, 320GB, or 500GB of mechanical storage, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

The system boasts a 720p HD webcam and covers the typical spectrum of connectivity options, including HDMI, VGA, three USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, RJ-45/11, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, as well as headphone and mic jacks. It also houses a four-in-one card reader, two speakers and a subwoofer, and your choice of a six or nine-cell battery.


Other noteworthy specs include "GPU Boost" technology to switch between integrated and discrete graphics, and luminescent touch-sensitive hotkeys placed above the keyboard. The GE600 weighs about 2.7kg (just shy of 6lbs), so it isn't the lightest of notebooks, and given its feature set, it probably isn't the cheapest either. There's no official word on price or availability.

Pentax makes all-weather Optio W90 and superzoom X90 official

Pentax is going for broke with its take on the rugged camera, the W90, which is unlikely to ever be confused for a svelte and stylish point-and-shoot. What it loses in looks, it gains in usability, however, as the 12.1 megapixel shooter can withstand shocks from a height of four feet, go nearly 20 feet under water, and withstand temperatures as slow as -10 degrees Celsius. The dustproofing is just topping on that rugged cake, though it still offers things like 720p / 30fps video recording and 5x optical zoom that are now considered standard camera specs. There are also three forms of shake reduction: one is post-processing of affected images, the second is by automatically increasing the ISO in low light conditions, and the third is the use of "exclusive software" during movie mode. We can't say any one of those will be as good as a well-implemented optical image stabilization, but at least they're there and might offer some assistance. As to the X90, it joins a growing band of 26x and above optical superzoomers, while adding the W90's 720p video mode and anti-shake plus its own sensor-shift stabilizer for good measure. Both shooters are expected in April, priced at $330 for the W90 and $400 for the X90, though we've noticed the former will show up a month earlier in the UK with a £270 ($417) price tag.

ATI busts out Radeon HD 5830, covers all bases

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 slower 5770 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.