Computer Systems - Page 48

We only just reported that Intel is looking to release its Broadwell CPUs earlier than expected, but it looks like the chipmaker is working on two new NUC units based on the freshly shrunken CPU technology, codenamed Broadwell.

Intel engineers are currently working on two new NUCs, the "Rock Canyon" and "Maple Canyon". Starting with what we know on the Rock Canyon, which is expected to be pushed toward the consumer market, where it will be marketed toward being in your living room, with technologies making it feel more at home. We should see USB 3.0, HDMI and DisplayPort technologies inside, as well as being ready to take an infrared receiver module. On top of that, it should feature an M.2 PCI Express-based slot for SSDs.

The Rock Canyon NUC will also reportedly feature NFC technology which will allow it to connect to your smartphone or tablet, as well as WiChrg technology. It looks like the most consumer-friendly NUC yet, improving on the already great NUCs on the market.

During the Consumer Electronics Show 2014 in Las Vegas, iBUYPOWER showed off some GPU coin mining systems that were powered by AMD's Radeon R9 290X GPUs. These systems are used purely to mine digital coins, such as Bitcoin and Litecoin.

iBUYPOWER's Vice President and co-founder, Darren Su, talks about the new GPU coin mining PCs from his company: "iBUYPOWER prides itself for being on the edge of technology, and as the world changes, we want to be at the forefront. Coin mining and high-compute systems are one of the few new areas that we have interest in. We're thrilled to be part of revolutions, and crypto-currencies are definitely on the hot-list."

The new GPU coin mining systems from iBUYPOWER start from $999, and can be configured in many different ways, depending on what you want to spend. The new coin mining PCs can be configured with up to three AMD Radeon R9 290X for some serious compute power.

Global PC shipments continued to slide during the fourth quarter of 2013, according to research group Gartner, as the industry continues to look for stability. Overall, the market shrank 10 percent, as expected, though still shipped 315.9 million units in the 12-month period.

Lenovo remained the No. 1 global PC manufacturer, shipping 18.1 percent of all PC shipments in the last quarter. Ironically, China remains a tough battleground for Lenovo, though showed strong growth results in all other regions.

"Although PC shipments continued to decline in the worldwide market in the fourth quarter, we increasingly believe markets, such as the U.S., have bottomed out as the adjustment to the installed base slows," said Mikako Kitagawa, Gartner Principal Analyst, in a statement.

CES 2014 - AMD is using CES 2014 to show off its new Nano PC, which is powered by the company's Mullins APU. AMD's Nano PC is a super small PC that sits on, or under your TV, and is capable of running Windows 8.1.

The Nano PC, even at its tiny size, features a camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and DockPort connectivity, as well as a 256GB SSD for storage. The Mullins APU is capable of driving the Nano PC without a problem, with reports stating that the tiny PC can play FIFA 14 at 1080p without a problem. We have a mini breakout box that provides USB and HDMI so that it can push the Nano PC's output to your TV.

Unfortunately, AMD won't be selling these Nano PCs direct, but instead will be offering them as a prototype to other manufacturers as a new HTPC/thin PC device.

CES 2014 - This morning we got a chance to stop by the Digital Storm suite and check out their new Bolt II hybrid Steam Machine. Robert Wall, senior technician for Digital Storm gave us a full rundown of the new hybrid Windows and Steam OS system in the video below.

The Bolt 2 Steam Machine that was demoed featured an purpose-built custom case that is able to pack everything into a nice and tidy small form factor footprint. Processing power is handled by an Intel i7 4770k CPU along with 16GB of Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM. An NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780Ti handles the GPU duties while a Corsair H100i dual fan unit keeps the CPU running nice and cool. Air flow and lighting are controlled via Digital Storm's proprietary lighting and cooling module, and further adds to the uniqueness of this unit.

Power is handled by a normal ATX PSU up to 700W in size, and a pair of 30mm fans are installed to ensure no stagnant pockets of hot air form inside the chassis. Surprisingly the Bolt II is about as silent as a PC can get. While in the suite, I was unable to notice any noise at all coming from the device that was running under the flat-screen TV. Digital Storm says that the Bolt II will be priced from $1500 up to $2500 depending on component choices and features.

CES 2014 - Lenovo has just finished taking the wrapping off its new ThinkVision Pro2840m 4K-capable display, but now we're hearing about the new N308 all-in-one PC, and a new 4K display with Google's mobile OS, Android, on-board.

The Lenovo ThinkVision 28 is the first 4K monitor to feature Android, but is being pushed as a professional 4K display first, with the Android desktop when required. The new ThinkVision 28 display features three HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and five USB 3.0 ports for connectivity. Matt Bereda, Lenovo's Marketing Director, said: "Now you get a very high resolution display that you can use for work situations, as well as being able to have an Android interface that can access applications."

Inside of the ThinkVision 28 is an NVIDIA Tegra processor, and stock version of Android. One of the standout features here is that there is no Lenovo UI being splashed over the stock Android OS - which is a nice surprise. Bereda added: "There are base Android apps installed, similar to what you'd get with your phone. You can expect a similar interface. Kind of the baseline video, camera type of apps, but then you will also be able to download others."

Global gaming PC manufacturer CyberPower Inc. is now working with EVGA and are now offering mini-ITX based gaming rigs that come in a compact liquid-cooled chassis. The Hadron Hydro is designed for users that want power and space for their gaming hardware along with liquid-cooling for your GPU and CPU in a compact package. The chassis of the Hadron Hydro is 6.6" wide x 13.7" high and 12.1" deep and only 1.7" taller than the Hadron Air.

It features the same minimalist look on the front panel of the Hadron Air. The Hadron Hydro is powered by a 500 watt gold rated power supply, the Hydro can accommodate many Mini-ITX form factor motherboards including Intel's B85 to Z87 express chipsets, 4th generation IntelCore Haswell processors, and even full size GeForce GTX Titan video cards.

The water cooling kit features a 240mm radiator, high performance CPU block, stainless steel fittings, tubing, and coolant. You can choose from nine different top of the line Intel processors. Hadron Hydro has two 3.0 USB ports, support for slim slot optical drives, HD audio in/out, and two 2.5/3.5in drive bays.

Today CyberPower Inc. launched a new small form factor gaming PC to its already impressive lineup. The new Hadron Air Gaming PC is based on a mini-ITX setup that is housed in EVGA's new Hadron Air chassis. Measuring in at just 6.5-inches by 12-inches by 12-inches, this little PC packs a much larger punch than you would expect.

Available in two base configurations, the Hadron Air Gaming PC features the latest Intel and AMD processors, as well as full size NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan, or AMD R9 290x GPUs. The Chassis is sleek and modern, yet remains minimalist in design, making sure that style meshes perfectly with function.

We are just 11 days from the release of Microsoft's Windows 8.1, and boutique system builders are beginning to announce availability of the operating system on new PCs. Today Origin PC announced that it has now began offering Windows 8.1 on all new desktops and laptops and will begin shipping those systems on October 17th.

"One of my favorite things about Windows 8.1 is now having the ability to choose where you want to boot directly to, your desktop or directly to the start screen menu." said Kevin Wasielewski ORIGIN PC CEO and co-founder. "With Windows 8.1, it's an evolutionary step in the right direction and we're extremely excited to immediately begin offering it to all ORIGIN PC customers to have it ready to ship by launch day."

Origin PC says that all existing customers who run Windows 8 can upgrade to Windows 8.1 for free on launch day through the Windows App store. For those who wish to stick with the tried and true Windows 7, Origin PC says that it will still continue to offer Windows 7 for the time being. With the inclusion of a "start button" Windows 8.1 is slowly working its way back to its roots, but personally, I am sticking to Windows 7.

This week, MSI launched two new mobile workstations, the GT70 20K and the GT60 20J. Both workstations feature NVIDIA Quadro graphics processors and Intel Core i7 processors for adequate power even when on the go. MSI says that the GT70 and GT60 have both been certified by Adobe, Autodesk, and Solidworks.

The GT70 features an NVIDIA Quadro K3100M graphics processor and the GT60 sports a K2100M GPU, which have both been designed to tackle the most intensive software out there, including AutoCad Design Suite, Avid Media Composer, Pinnacle Studio 16, AutoDesk Smoke, Siemens NX, PTC Creo Parametric 2.0, and more. Both units possess NVIDIA Optimus technology, which enables designers and engineers to perform simultaneous rendering or structural/fluid analysis on the same system.

"MSI has long been praised for the performance of our gaming laptops, and the new workstations leverage that expertise to deliver the same quality and effectiveness for professionals," said Andy Tung, Vice President of Sales for MSI Pan America Region. "We've successfully combined the power and design of our acclaimed GT70 and GT60 laptops with the performance needed to tackle professional applications.