Displaying items by tag: Haswell

Although there is the opinion that Haswell is still not ready for devices without a fan, it's not an opinion that everybody shares. Specifically, HP is planning device based on the new Intel-based cooling which will be done passively.

Richland are actually not so new even despite the new name, they are actually more or less chips based on the current Piledriver x86 architecture and VLIW4 graphics architecture known to us from previous APU's. A step forward was achieved in terms of performance due to a higher operating speeds of x86 cores but also of integrated GPU. A10-6800K, the fastest new APU also boasts support for the 2,133-megahertz memory which is quite important for users who intend to use the integrated graphics.

With the official launch of the new Intel processors the introduction of new motherboards also started. Gigabyte offer is as usual huge and consists of as many as 25 different boards.

Razer recently introduced refreshed offer of gaming laptops, which now consists of two models. The existing 17-inch Blade model now bears the name Blade Pro, while the "new" Razer Blade is a brand new notebook with 14-inch screen.

After creating quite a stir a couple of months ago the specter of Intel BGA CPUs for the “Desktop” has risen from the internet again. This time the new is in a form that many would see as confirmation that Intel will be phasing out the traditional socket in favor of the non-upgradable BGA package. According to information posted over at VR-Zone Intel already has three BGS CPUs on the map that could launch with Haswell in the next few months. As you might expect there are already articles claiming that this is (or could be) the beginning of the end for the desktop socket. Fortunately for the DIY market even a quick look at the CPUs listed rules out that chance. From the specifications Intel will be sticking to the lucrative desktop socket for a while.

The fourth generation of Intel Core processors, codenamed Haswell, should be found in stores by mid-year. However, users could initially have some problems with the USB 3.0 interface and connected devices.

Intel plans to launch another line of processors specifically designed for tablets in the first quarter next year. This is a core chip from their Y series based on the Ivy Bridge architecture and in BGA packaging, while in the third quarter of next year Haswell versions of the same series should appear.

Microsoft Surface has not yet fully gone on sale, but already rumors about the new models are appearing. According to the relatively reliable MS_nerd, there will be three versions of this tablet. Surface RT 2, edition of Microsoft's tablet with an ARM chip, should have a screen with a diagonal of 8.6 inches. Also, the tablet should be powered by a Qualcomm chipset, unlike the Nvidia Tegra 3 which is in the current edition of Surface RT.

Yesterday there was a flurry of news posts with dire warnings that Intel would soon be removing the ability to upgrade your CPU. The news talked about the future of Intel CPUs and their associated sockets after Haswell.  When we first saw some of these posts they read like the latest Facebook update rumors, but as with many rumors there is a nugget of truth somewhere in them (at least most of the time). We did reach out to Intel, but as expected they were not able to comment on unannounced products and had nothing more to say. So exactly what is going on with Intel and the future of the DIY market, let’s take a look and see if we can make some sense of the rumor that is going around.

One of the thing things that we find interesting in many leaks and even official documents about upcoming products is the use of percentages and multipliers without much real data. We saw this with Microsoft and their performance claims for Windows 8’s new desktop and 3D graphics performance. They used a ton of percentages and yet forgot to list the hardware they were comparing or any of the raw numbers. Not too long after that we saw ARM claim a base 50% performance increase with their next generation Mali GPUs over their current generation Mali GPUs. Again we do not have any real numbers or the basis for these claims. Unfortunately for ARM even a 50% performance increase will not make their next gen faster than some of their competition.