Dell Joins the Netbook Movement with its Inspiron Mini 9-September 4, 2008
The wait is finally over, and Dell has officially unveiled it latest creation, the Inspiron Mini 9. This is the latest entry into the sub-notebook/netbook marketplace, and Dell joins manufacturers like ASUS, Acer, MSI, and Lenovo in this highly competitive area. The Inspiron Mini 9 starts at a weight of 2.28 lbs, and includes a rugged outer housing (Obsidian Black or Alpine White), a sealed keyboard, and a solid state drive (SSD) for primary storage. It is powered by an Intel Atom Processor, which runs at 1.6GHz and includes 512KB L2 Cache, while the Inspiron Mini 9 can sport up to 1GB of 533MHz DDR2 memory.
The chipset is an Intel 965PM/GM Express with Intel GMA 950 graphics, and the Inspiron Mini 9 platform includes three USB ports, 10/100 LAN, a 15-pin VGA video connector, audio jacks, a 3-in-1 media card reader, 802.11g Wi-Fi, and optional Bluetooth. A glossy 8.9 inch LED screen (1024x600) is the primary display, and the unit ships with a standard 4-cell 32WHr li-ion battery. The SSD capacities include 4GB, 8GB and 16GB configurations, but with no standard hard drive selection available at launch. Another optional feature is a built-in 0.3MP or 1.3MP Webcam, and the Inspiron Mini 9 ships with either Ubuntu Linux 8.04 or Windows XP Home SP3. The base configuration, with 512MB, a 4GB SSD and Linux is priced at $349, but moving to an 8GB SDD and Win XP raises that to $399, and the top-end 1GB, 16GB SSD + Win XP will run you $449.
Kingston is the First to Offer Ultra Low-Latency DDR2 Notebook Memory-September 3, 2008
Kingston is offering a new enthusiast twist to notebook memory, introducing a new HyperX DDR2-800 kit with ultra low latencies. These Kingston HyperX PC2-6400 CL4 SODIMMs are available in 4GB configurations with low memory timings at both 667 and 800 MHz speeds. The Serial Presence Detect (SPD) ratings of these HyperX SODIMMS are CL3-4-4-10 @ 1.8V at 667 MHz and CL4-4-4-12 @ 1.8V at 800 MHz, and even CL3 at 533 MHz, all without the need to adjust system BIOS settings.
Kingston is targeting the P45/Centrino 2 notebook platforms with this low latency memory, and the KHX6400S2ULK2/4G kit includes two 2GB SODIMM modules with three individual SPD ratings for 533, 667 and 800 MHz operation. "As more notebook systems standardize on faster 800MHz platforms, particularly the Intel Centrino 2 chipsets, Kingston engineers designed the high-performance, ultra low-latency HyperX SO-DIMMs to support them — right out of the box," said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. Kingston offers a lifetime warranty and their HyperX Ultra Low-Latency DDR2-800 4GB kit has a MSRP of $257 USD.
Logitech Unleashes Three New Keyboards-September 3, 2008
Although Logitech did introduce three new keyboards, the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is obviously the flagship model. This keyboard offers an illuminated backlight, which really aids both office users and gamers function in low-light conditions. To achieve this new level of backlighting, Logitech has combined microlens reflectors, a multilayer painting process and laser etching. The Illuminated Keyboard also features the Logitech PerfectStroke key system, a transparent frame, a soft-touch palm rest, and an ultra-thin design.
Logitech also introduced the diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks, which maximizes the benefits of the notebook, by giving users a full-sized wireless keyboard with number pad. This is also the first Logitech keyboard designed specifically for the notebook user, and it also features the PerfectStroke key system. Just add a Logitech notebook stand and you're ready to go. The Logitech Cordless Desktop S520 is another new product, and it offers a high-performance mouse and keyboard combo. Battery life is high, which Logitech states as eight months of battery life for the mouse and 15 months for the keyboard. The Logitech Cordless Desktop S520 will debut in September at a MSRP of $59.99 USD, while the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard and Logitech diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks will hit in October at suggested retail prices of $79.99 and $99.99 USD, respectively.
NEC Adds New Servers to Product Line-September 3, 2008
NEC has expanded their line-up of servers, rolling out a green server, a 4-socket blade server and announced an upcoming expansion to their Intel-based server products. The NEC Express5800/i120Ra-e1 server is a power-efficient, "green" model for businesses interested in lowering power usage. It achieves this through the use of a new Intel low-power chip, lower power-consuming memory, and a redesigned power supply. Compared to a standard rackmount server, the unit's maximum power consumption is only 330 watts vs. 680 watts, with 2 CPUs in use.
The NEC Express5800/140Ba-10 is a new 4-socket blade server, geared for performance and scalability, and includes support for multi-core Intel Xeon processors and the unique feature of 16 DIMM memory sockets that handle a maximum of 64GB memory. "Fault tolerant hardware technology can offer a highly cost-effective approach to enterprise-level high availability and is becoming increasingly important in a virtualized environment," said Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice president, Server Markets, Gartner, Inc. The Express5800/i120Ra-e1 and Express5800/140Ba-10 servers will be available in October, but NEC has not yet announced specific pricing.
Lian-Li Launches New Power Supply Line, Rack Mount Kit and Fan Blower-August 26, 2008
Lian-Li has quickly announced three new product lines, covering power supplies, rack mount kits and fan blowers. The MAXIMA Force series of enthusiast-level power supply units headlines this new wave, and offer a range of different wattages, all with full 80 Plus certification. The MAXIMA Force lines ships in 470W, 650W and 750W models, and all support the latest ATX 12V V2.3 and EPS 12V standards. Other features include Power Failure Detection, full support for multi-core CPU, multi-graphics cards and multi-GPU single cards, and the interesting option of a maximum 100W overpower capability for one hour.
Lian-Li has also launched another pair of new case enhancement products, including the EX-H34 HDD rack mount kit and the BS-08 fan blower. The EX-H34 HDD rack features an all-aluminum frame and housing, and includes a front-loading door with individual handles on a bracket for each HDD. The rack mount kit features a back panel PCB that supports SATA hard drives in RAID 0, 1 and 0+1 formats, in a hot-swap plug & play configuration. Cooling is supplied by a 120mm fan, which spins at 1500-RPM and includes a washable nylon dust filter. The BS-08 is a fan ducting system that helps cool the graphics cards. It features dual 120mm fans within an aluminum shroud duct, which attaches to a system bracket (taking up 2 PCI slots) and expels hot air from the case. Lian-Li has yet to announce retail pricing on these new products.
OCZ Gets Rough with the Dominatrix Laser Gaming Mouse-August 26, 2008
OCZ Technology has been diversifying of late, offering a wide range of product choices for the high-end gaming market. The new Dominatrix Laser Gaming Mouse is the latest, and this offers a rock solid design and stability, combined with excellent customizing options. The first part is covered by a wired mouse, with no-slip rubber grips, which uses a high-speed, bi-directional USB 2.0 connection delivering a poll rate of up to 500Hz. The Dominatrix mouse features a laser tracking engine with multiple DPI settings of 2000/1600/800/400, and a combined maximum of 3200 DPI, for a tracking speed of up to 45-inches per second and a frame rate of up to 7080 fps.
The Dominatrix Laser Gaming Mouse also includes a standard 2-button + 4-way scroll wheel design, along with two programmable buttons. The bundled software allows customization of the mouse features, as well as loading scripts, and the mouse has onboard memory for profile storage and retrieval. As an added bonus, OCZ has even bundled weight cartridges that can be used to boost the mouse weight up to 40 grams. OCZ continues to expand its product line into new and interesting markets, including SSD drives and DIY gaming notebooks. "The new Dominatrix mouse is no exception, offering world-class performance and specifications guaranteed to provide the discerning gamer and enthusiast with an unparalleled tactile control experience," said Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management. OCZ backs the Dominatrix with a full 3-year warranty and offers OS support for Windows XP and Vista, but has not announced suggested retail pricing.
Palit Breaks Through with the Radeon HD 4850 Sonic-August 26, 2008
The Radeon HD 4850 Sonic video card is not just another ATI reference design, and Palit Microsystems has gone back to the drawing board for their latest performance model. According to Palit, this graphics card has been redesigned from the ground up, and the end result is what overclockers have been yearning for. The primary difference between the Palit Radeon HD 4850 Sonic and a standard ATI model is the clock speeds, but Palit has also adjusted other areas of the reference design, including the power management system and cooling hardware.
The clock speeds of the Palit Radeon HD 4850 Sonic video card are slightly higher than their reference ATI counterparts, and include a 685 MHz GPU core frequency (compared to 625 MHz reference) and a memory clock set at a full 2.0 GHz, or just slightly higher than a standard model. Palit employs a dual heat-pipe cooling solution with a 3400-RPM fan, which the company contends is 10 dBA quieter while dropping temperatures by 20 degrees at full load. Palit has also moved to a full 3-phase power management system, as opposed to the default 2-phase system AMD employs, which can prolong card lifespan and allow higher overclocks. The default power connector has been upgraded to a 150 W 8-pin design, from the standard 75 W 6-pin connector. Palit has not announced pricing on the new card.
CoolIT Unleashes the MTEC Docking Station for Core 2 Extreme Notebooks-August 25, 2008
The latest MTEC Docking Station from CoolIT Systems goes right after the top-end of the notebook market, and is specially targeted at platforms running the Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor, including first mobile quad core, the Core2 Extreme mobile processor QX9300. This docking station has been built with collaboration from Intel, and according to CoolIT, sports a 40-watt cooling boost with a 10-degree overall decrease in temperatures.
The overall design of the new MTEC Docking Station utilizes a physical docking base that elevates the notebook and links up to its existing cooling system. This allows the notebook to be raised off the table or desktop, and CoolIT's MTEC Technology then pumps chilled air directly into the laptop's existing CPU and GPU intakes. It also channels the notebook's heat exhaust through the back of the MTEC Docking Station, where low-noise cooling fans expel it. The unit also includes CoolIT's MTEC Control Center software, which lets end users customize the fan speeds, airflow and other factors to achieve the best results. The MTEC Docking Station will be available in Q1 2009, but CoolIT has not yet announced pricing.
OCZ Launches the ModXStream Pro Series of Power Supplies-August 22, 2008
OCZ Technology has announced the release of the ModXStream Pro Series of power supplies, introducing a gaming-grade PSU with the added flexibility of a modular cable management system. These are targeted at both the gaming and enthusiast markets, and combine a high-performance power supply with efficiencies of 86% at a typical load scenario and up to 82% at full load, along with the ability to support power both NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFire multi-GPU graphics modes. The OCZ modular cable management system is a nice feature, offering wired connectors for the primary cables, and removable cabling for the secondary power connectors.
The ModXStream Pro Series come in three different configurations, at 400W, 500W, 600W, and 700W capacities. These differ in a few ways other than power rating, as the 400W unit features a 140mm cooling fan, while the 500W-700W power supplies include a 120mm fan and add 1x8-pin CPU, 1x6+2-pin PCI-E and 2xSATA connectors to the standard 400W configuration. These units are ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V compatible, offer overvoltage/overcurrent/short-circuit protection, and include OCZ PowerWhisper Technology, which lowers ambient noise while maintaining power levels and efficiency. All ModXStream Pro Series power supplies are backed by a full 3-year warranty, supplemented by OCZ's exclusive PowerSwap Warranty replacement program, which lowers downtime by letting you to "swap" a defective power supply and receive a new one in its place. OCZ has not announced pricing.
