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.