Pinetrail: Intel's Atom D510 processor and NM10 chipset get tested

Intel's Pinetrail Atom platform isn't just intended for netbooks, but also nettops, or as Intel likes calling them, entry-level desktops. The first entry-level desktops with Pinetrail are expected to hit the market by January 2010, and they will be fitted with either the single-core Atom D410 CPU or the dual-core Atom D510 CPU (partnered with the new NM10 chipset which was previously referred to as Tiger Point; see a better explanation of the Pinetrail platform here).

If you plan on getting any of the new nettops that will come out running on Pinetrail in January, then you might want to check on the benchmarks ran by Tom's Hardware, comparing the performance and power consumption of the new Intel dual-core Atom D510 with the last generation Atom and a low-end Pentium E-series processor. The results are not in the least bit surprising. The Intel Atom D510 didn't show a significant increase in performance. In fact, it even failed to complete some tests and constantly crashed during testing. However, it did show a significant reduction in power consumption, and if you're after low electric bills, I'm sure you'll find that to be very good news.

There's a lot more information to be digested about the new Pineview Atom desktop processor, so head on to Tom's Hardware for the full test results.

Source: [Tom's Hardware]

ECS intros TIGT-I motherboard with Intel Atom D510 CPU and GMA3150 graphics

Your next nettop/SFF PC motherboard has just arrived, courtesy of ECS. Pictured above, the ECS TIGT-I motherboard features an integrated Intel Atom D510 processor (clocked at 1.66GHz) with GMA3150 graphics, the standard configuration for Intel's recently announced Pinetrail platform. Built in a Mini-ITX form factor, the ECS TIGT-I motherboard offers a built-in Ethernet port, high definition audio, 2 x SATA3.0 Gb/s, 1 x PATA, 4 x USB 2.0, 2 x DDR2 800, and 1 x PCIe x1 expansion slot. ECS's press release boasts that this mobo saves 50% power but increases up to 20% performance than the previous generation. Plus it will be perfect for fan-less systems, small form factor PCs or other portable devices. Hard to argue with that.

Source: [ECS]

Intel prepping Pentium Dual-Core E5500 processor

While Intel is heavily promoting its upcoming Core i5 and Core i3 processors for system builders, it still has its eye on the budget segment, for which it is preparing to launch a new Pentium Dual-Core processor to be called the Intel E5500. A step up from the E5400, the E5500 will have a stock clock speed of 2.8GHz with an 800MHz FSB, 2MB of L2 cache and a 65W TDP. Fudzilla, where the report of this processor's existence originates, mentions that it will be available for $74 USD or about 3,400 Pesos by early Q2 2010.

Source: [Fudzilla]

Gigabyte intros Odin Plus Series PSUs with 500W, 600W, and 700W variants

Gigabyte has introduced a new series of mid-level PSUs called Odin Plus and offers three variations in 500W, 600W and 700W models. All feature solid-state capacitors that came straight for Japan and have multi-rail +12V circuits (the 500W and 600W models have three +12V rails, while the 700W has four.

6+2 pin PCI-Express power connectors are onboard all PSUs, as well as 24-pin ATX connectors and 4+4 pin CPU power connectors. Gigabyte's Odin Plus series PSUs boast an 80 Plus Bronze rating and are said to be coming very soon for retail prices that range from 110 to 130 Euro (from 7,780 Pesos). It certainly sounds like Gigabyte's new Odin Plus series PSUs are going to be good, but they sure aren't that affordable.

Source: [Softpedia]

DDR3 SDRAM use to become more widespread in Q2 2010, says iSuppli

DDR3 SDRAM is 50% faster and uses 30% less power than its DDR2 counterpart. So why hasn't the new technology completely replaced the old one yet? Well, first of all, DDR3 RAM is not cheap. It's more expensive, and forces a move to an entirely new platform which supports it instead of DDR2 RAM. People working with tight budgets back off from DDR3 RAM and opt for DDR2 instead.

But iSuppli predicts that this will all change very soon, saying that DDR3 SDRAM will rise to dominance during the second quarter of 2010. The reason why they think so is because a) Intel's Nehalem microprocessor microarchitecture has a memory controller that supports DDR3 only and b) production of DDR3 has advanced to the point were memory makers can produce it at a competitive cost using leading-edge semiconductor process technology.

It will be interesting to see this prediction come true, but my takeaway from all of this is just that the manufacturers are hoping to drive a bigger profit off consumers so they are almost wishing that DDR3 SDRAM becomes more widespread if not at the very onset of 2010, then during the subsequent months.

Source: [EETimesAsia]

Apple's Core i7-equipped iMacs having serious quality and performance issues

A lot of people usually equate the word quality with Apple and its computers, so news of the new i7-powered iMacs having performance and quality issues is sort of a big thing. Well, to a lot of fanboys swimming in Steve Jobs's famed reality distortion field, maybe, but in reality, it's nothing new. More often than not, the first batch or shipments of any Apple product ever released has major flaws, the kind of thing that would drive anyone who paid upwards of $1000 USD expecting top-notch quality insane.

Gartner forecasts PC shipments to grow this year thanks to netbooks, not Windows 7

The recent widespread adoption of netbooks (such as the LG X120) and other mobile PCs has driven global PC sales enough for Gartner Inc. to change their minds about their current outlook on the global PC market. Earlier this year, Gartner predicted an 11.9% decrease in total PC shipments for 2009, but now have changed their forecasts to say that PC sales will likely reach 162 million units this year for an increase of 15.4% over sales in 2008.

Intel working on 32nm Cedarview-D Atom platform with sub-10W TDP

Think the Atom processor is small enough? Well apparently, Intel does not. The Atom processor is going to get smaller and smaller, and consume less power as the months go by and we enter into 2010. Based on information picked up by Fudzilla, Intel is set to launch a new Atom platform codenamed "Cedarview-D" possibly some time in late 2010. We'll bear witness to the Pineview-D nettop platform's launch when next year arrives, but then it will make way for the new 32nm Atom CPUs with sub-10W TDP which are part of the Cedarview-D platform. So it offers less power consumption with a smaller TDP, less cost due to being part of Intel's 32nm process, and better reliability... or so we are told. One can only hope, though, that this doesn't result in an even weaker processor that bogs down the entire system as the biggest bottleneck as with most Atom-powered mobile devices these days.

Source: [Fudzilla]

New Core i7-based iMacs benchmarked and seen to be better than counterparts, surprises no one

Apple recently unveiled new models of the iMac which use Intel's Core i7 and Core i5 processors. I don't know why anyone would need benchmarks and "hard data" to know that these are quite a bit faster than the other available iMac models using Core 2 Duo processors, but in case you do, here's a shot of tabulated Geekbench scores showing exactly what anyone with half a brain would already expect: the i5 and i7-based iMacs are a lot faster! I'd like to get upset about people who look at these scores and think, "Wow, the iMac is really the best computer out there right now," but that would be childish. So, I'll just leave the fanboys swimming in their own drool looking at this so they can enjoy Apple's "new" innovation.

Source: [Timon Royer]

Dell launches Inspiron Zino HD mini desktop PC in the UK

Dell has just introduced a small- form-factor desktop PC called the Inspiron Zino HD and it is available in a wide-array of colors plus a set of features that brings all generations of Apple's Mac Mini to shame. Despite being about the same size as the OS X running equivalent from Cupertino, the Dell Inspiron Zino HD offers up to 1TB hard disk space and up to 8GB of RAM, while touting AMD Athlon processors and ATI Radeon graphics.

LG Electronics intros XPION S30, A30, and T30 desktop PCs for 2010

LG Electronics has been a household name for years now, but that's because they make appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, and TVs with home theater systems that help us better enjoy our time spent at home. But now it seems the Korean electronics titan is set on making its mark in the desktop PC environment as well, as it officially launches three new desktop PCs in its XPION 30 series range with Intel processors and NVIDIA graphics. The three new desktop PCs are, pictured above from left to right, the XPION A30, T30, and S30. Two have dual core Intel processors while the last one has an i5 750 under the hood. Can you guess which one?