Intel Cluster Toolkit Compiler Edition 3.2 for Windows

Introduction
Intel Cluster Toolkit Compiler Edition provides an extensive software package containing Intel C++ and Intel Fortran Compilers for Intel IA-32, IA-64, and Intel 64 architectures, PLUS it includes all the Intel Cluster Tools that help you develop, analyse and optimise performance of parallel applications on Linux or Windows Compute Cluster Server. As an added feature for IA-64 and Intel 64 architectures running the Linux operating system, Cluster OpenMP libraries are available.
Bundling Compilers and Cluster Tools for IntelIA-32, IA-64, and Intel 64 architectures, the Intel Cluster Toolkit Compiler Edition provides Windows or Linux versions of the Intel Compilers for C++ and Fortran, Cluster Open MP libraries (Linux only) in addition to the Intel Cluster Tools for a software package unrivaled by any other offerings.
The Intel Cluster Toolkit Compiler Edition license provides access and support for the following programs on either Windows CCS or Linux:
Intel C++ Compiler
Intel Fortran Compiler
Intel MPI Library
Intel Trace Analyzer and Collector
Intel Math Kernel Library
Intel MPI Benchmarks
Intel Debugger (except with Windows Intel MPI Library applications)
Intel Cluster OpenMP for Intel Compilers for Linux (Linux except IA-32 architecture)
The latest releases of all the Cluster Tools have increased performance and ease-of use while improving interoperability, scalability and the number of user options.
Intel Cluster Toolkit Compiler Edition integrates your compiler of choice with the Cluster Tools, provides easy installation and comes with extensive documentation.
With the purchase of any Intel Software Development Product, you will receive one year of technical support and product updates from Intel Premier Support, Intel's interactive issue management and communication web site. This premium support service allows you to submit questions, download product updates, and access technical notes, application notes, and other documentation. Extended support agreements are also available.

Intel unveils Tukwila Itanium processor

The first version of Tukwila is expected to arrive in the second half of this year, and will replace Intel's previous dual-core server chip, the 9100 series codenamed Montvale. The Montvale was based on Intel's 90nm process, while the Tukwila is based on a 65nm process.
Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, described the new Itanium processor commenting on the advantages of moving to the quad-core system.
"By so doing we double the performance [compared to the 9100 Montvale] when measured on an enterprise standard benchmarks ... but with only a 25 percent increase in power."
The Tukwila Itanium processor is expected to run at 2GHz with a power consumption of 130W.
The Tukwila processor is also expected to have 30MB of cache, along with Reliability, Availability, Serviceability (RAS) features including a circuit design that has been hardened to resist soft errors -- which reduces the probability of a system crash.
Although the chip has had no instruction-level changes since Montvale, Tukwila will also include dual integrated memory controllers and QuickPath interconnect, Intel's future competitor to AMD's HyperTransport technology.
Like its predecessor, the new Tukwila Itanium processor will be aimed at the enterprise and server space.
Intel's successor from the Tukwila, the Poulson is expected sometime between 2010 and 2011.
Other technologies will be unveiled along with the Itanium processor including a low power process for mobile devices codenamed Silverthorne, and a new type of multi-level phase change memory.

Intel unleashes low cost chips for subnotebooks

Intel has released two chips: the N270 and N230, processors designed for what Intel calls "netbooks" and "nettops" — cheap notebook alternatives that are smaller and have fewer functions than standard laptops but also lighter and use far less power.
The new chips are basically the same chips as the earlier Atom processors released for mobile internet devices, but they have been tweaked slightly for use with bigger internet access devices, said Erik Reid, director of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group, on a conference call.
Asia Pacific VP and general manager Navin Shenoy, unveiling the new chip at Computex in Taiwan, said that the Atom breaks with the Intel tradition of making faster and faster chips, which have an inherently high cost.
By contrast, he said, the low-power Atom chip is relatively cheap to produce and exceptionally small, with 2,500 units — each containing 47 million transistors — fitting on one 12-inch wafer.
That's the equivalent of squeezing 11 of the devices onto one US penny.
"Intel has always been about faster, faster and faster chips," Shenoy said. "But we want to innovate in a new direction this time, very low power, very small size, and, yes, very low cost."
Intel estimates that a netbook using the Atom N270 processor running at 1.6GHz, a 7-inch to 10-inch screen, 512MBs of RAM, and 2GBs to 4GBs of flash storage should cost around US$250. The N270 processor for netbooks costs US$44 in quantities of 1,000 units, while the N230 processor for nettops costs US$29.

Intel's Dunnington gets Aussie launch

Intel's previous CPUs have contained up to four cores, however the company is increasing the amount of processing power it contains on a single die to keep up with processing demands and software that is increasingly being built to take advantage of multiple cores. The Dunnington line will be marketed under the Xeon 7400 series moniker.
The design will be the last of Intel's Penryn-class processors, and will feature 16MB of level 3 cache memory. In an email to journalists announcing the launch, Intel said the chips would support more virtual machines per server, enabling better performance within the same space and power envelope for administrators.
Later on this year, Intel is reported to be planning to release a markedly new architecture known as Nehalem, which will aim to further increase the number of cores per chip to 16 or more and end provide other features.
An Intel Australia spokesperson could not clarify what date the chips would actually go on sale in Australia.

Intel prepares six-core Xeon

Quad-core and Octo-core might be the current next-gen craze for desktops and servers, but Intel seems wants to pitch a line of CPUs in-between as well. Intel will be adding on to their Xeon lineup with the “Dunnington” core later this year, a CPU that will have a total of six cores under the hood. Dunnington, which was announced three years ago, is intended to be an enterprise-class chip and will feature 3MB of shared L2 cache per pair of cores, and shared 16MB L3 cache. According to the leaked slides, it'll use the 'somewhat dated' 1066MHz FSB, and is probably aimed at preventing the Opteron from regaining any ground once AMD gets back on their feet.

Intel Planning Low-Power Lynnfield Processors

Earlier this month, Intel released a series of its Core 2 Quad processors with low power ratings, rated TDPs at 65W. This move served two purposes: to bring down the energy footprints of the CPUs, and to propagate quad-core chips to even those platforms whose electrical components are built for CPUs in that 65W power range. An example of that would be small form-factor PCs, mini-ITX motherboards with LGA-775 sockets, and some variants that might make it to notebooks. Intel now has plans to bring in a low-power Lynnfield processor sometime in Q1 2010. Given the amount of machinery the Lynnfield processors hold: four x86 processing cores, a dual-channel IMC, internal QPI and PCI-Express root complexes, in some cases even an IGP, a low-power variant sounds like a great engineering feat. We don't exactly know as to what low-power in context of Lynnfield is, at this point, but we can tell it will bring down platform power consumptions, given that the processor could end up being the single largest power consumer on a motherboard, and its power consumption affects that of the entire platform significantly.

Intel Readies R0 Revision of Core 2 Quad Q8200

TC Magazine reports that Intel is preparing a little upgrade on its modest 2.33GHz 45nm Core 2 Quad Q8200 processors. The Q8200 CPUs will pass from M1 to R0 stepping next month. The revised R0 processors will begin to be supplied from February 23rd through April 20, 2009. As reported Q8200 R0 will feature a halide free package, new S-spec and MM numbers, a CPUID changed from 10677 to 1067A, and Power State Indicator (PSI) support with Intel 4 series chipsets. To decrease energy consumption and update monitoring functions, the R0 quad-core processors will bring in three new low power states (Extended Stop Grant State, Deep Sleep State and Deeper Sleep State) and new XSAVE/XRSTOR instructions. A BIOS update for your motherboard will likely be needed if you happen to own a R0 quad-core.

Multi-Core Processors Outpacing Key Business Software

The relentless doubling of cores per microprocessor chip will result in servers with far more horsepower than software can use, says GartnerThe relentless doubling of cores per microprocessor chip will drive total processor counts in upcoming generations of servers well beyond levels for which key business software has been engineered, a market research firm said Wednesday.Technologies that will be affected by this evolution include operating systems, middleware, virtualization tools, and other applications, Gartner said. As a result, companies and other organizations will be faced with "difficult decisions, hurried migrations to new versions and performance challenges.""Looking at the specifications for these software products, it is clear that many will be challenged to support the hardware configurations possible today and those that will be accelerating in the future," Gartner analyst Carl Claunch said in a statement. "The impact is akin to putting a Ferrari engine in a go-cart; the power may be there, but design mismatches severely limit the ability to exploit it."

Intel Postpones the Launch Schedule of Lynnfield CPUs and P55 Chipset

I'm afraid that what's to be told here, is hard to be categorized as good news. Industry observer DigiTimes reports that Intel is about to postpone the initiation of Lynnfield processors and P55 chipset. Chips based on the quad-core Lynnfield design, are supposed to bring Nehalem to more people, because they'll represent the budget line of Core i7 processors.Intel has recently decided to postpone its next-generation mainstream CPU Lynnfield along with the P55 chipset to the end of August or the beginning of September this year, and may postpone them to an even later time depending on the market situation, according to sources at motherboard makers. Both Lynnfield and P55 were originally scheduled to launch by the end of July. The economic decline which has caused motherboard makers to suffer overstocked chipset inventory is the major reason for the pull back, according to the sources. After the P55 launches, Intel plans to phase out non-IGP P45 and P43 chipsets and will transition its 4-series IGP chipsets to the entry-level.

More info on Intel's "Pineview" Atom chips surfaces

We already reported on the fact that updated Intel Atom chips are expected to arrive sometime by mid-2009, with just a slightly speedier core frequency of 1.66GHz, but also with new HD-capable graphics via the GN40 chipset and memory support boosted from DDR2 533 to DDR2 667. Additionally however the company is planning to launch its 45nm successor, codenamed Pineview, with an on-chip memory controller and integrated graphics processor.According to DigiTimes, the switch to a smaller process will cut the amount of necessary mainboard space by 60 percent compared to Atom N270 CPU platforms, shrinking the overall footprint. It should also be available clocked faster than the current chips, and while onboard video processor will remain the GMA 950, clock frequency will increase from 133MHz to 200MHz. Moreover, the new southbridge will be codenamed Tigerpoint-M and will be replacing the ICH7M.Despite these performance improvements, TDP will go down from 8W to 7W, while the average power consumption will be only 2W. The Pineview Atoms should also be cheaper to make, which could see lower netbook prices down the line, and both single core and dual core version will be available in the second half of this year – though sadly the dual-core variants will be reserved for nettops only.

Intel Plans to Integrate Graphics onto New Atom CPU

According to VRZone, Intel is planning to launch the next generation of Atom CPU's in Q4 2009 with a 45nm single core version, codenamed Pineview, a dual core CPU will shortly follow in Q1 2010. It seems Intel are gearing up to a single chip solution and with this particular generation of Atom, the CPU will be joined by the IGP and memory controller and is based on Lincroft Architecture. There also appears to be a new southbridge in the works to accompany this new chip. No longer do we have ICH-XX variants, but instead this new piece of silicon has been called Tiger Point. Between the two the platform will be known as the Pine Trail-D and will support memory speeds of upto 800Mhz DDR2. Intel claims there will be a 70% reduction in total kit package size and a 50% reduction in total kit TDP.

More Details Trickle in on Intel's New Atom Platform, the Pine Trial-D Based Nettop

Following the story which we covered just a few days ago, Expreview has got more information on the new Intel Atom platform, codenamed Pine Trail-D. From the new information, we see that the CPU, IGP and MCH will in fact all be integrated into one chip, as opposed to just being moved onto the same die. The CPU has also been listed as at least 1.6Ghz, double that of the current entry level Atom processor. Despite the platform having no need for a northbridge, with it all moved into the CPU, Intel have managed to keep the die size at 484 sq. mm. On that note however, it seems that the IGP is still DirectX 9 based, though further details on the graphical capabilities are still not yet known. We also see, that the new Tigerpoint southbridge, will support 8 USB devices, 4 PCI-E x1 lanes, 2 PCI ports, 2 SATA ports and HD audio.

Children, Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries Receive Hand Up from Intel, Non-Profits

Small Things Challenge to Raise Awareness, Funds for Education, Micro-Financing in Fight Against Poverty

Intel Corporation, two non-profit organizations and several celebrities have joined forces to raise awareness and funds so children in developing countries can attend primary school and their parents can earn higher incomes.
Throughout the developing world more than 75 million primary age children are not in school – robbing them of future opportunity continuing the cycle of poverty – and at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day, according to data from the United Nations1.
Intel, Kiva.org* and Save the Children* are kicking off a year-long effort today called the Small Things Challenge. The program will appeal directly to individuals worldwide and encourage them to get involved by donating money to Save the Children's Rewrite the Future program, which is focused on securing quality education for the millions of children out of school due to war and armed conflict. Individuals are also urged to provide micro-loans through Kiva.org to entrepreneurs in the developing world, another way to raise the standard of living. Individuals can provide support and find more information, including a video featuring musicians and celebrities who support the cause, at http://www.smallthingschallenge.com/.
"While these issues will continue to challenge our world for some time, we can improve peoples' lives by pooling small contributions," said Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, who also chairs a United Nations initiative on technology in the developing world. "Someone once told me ‘a small deed done is better than a great deed planned.' Even the smallest, individual action or donation can make a big difference – every journey starts with a first step."
The three organizations are also calling on people worldwide to signal their support at http://www.smallthingschallenge.com/ for the need to increase access to education and to foster economic development in emerging countries. Intel will donate 5 cents for every person who clicks on the "we'll donate 5 cents for you" button on the Web site. The company will provide up to $300,000 this year to the Small Things Challenge, in addition to the $100 million that Intel is investing in other education programs this year. Intel believes that children everywhere deserve to have the skills necessary to become the next generation of innovators.
"For millions, the dream of going to school remains unfulfilled," said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children. "In conflict-affected countries, one of three children is currently out of school. This campaign will help us to reach more of these vulnerable children with the gift of education and open doors for future opportunities."
There is no minimum value for a donation to Save the Children, but micro-loans through Kiva.org start at $25. Every small, individual action can make a big difference – especially if millions participate. For example, in Darfur, Sudan, a $10 donation can help Save the Children provide school supplies for a child or $50 can help provide a blackboard for a classroom. Or through Kiva.org a $25 loan can be combined with others toward the $250 loan a fisherman in Cambodia needs to buy more nets so he can catch and sell more fish.
"The spirit of entrepreneurship is as strong among the poor of the developing world as it is in Silicon Valley," said Kiva.org CEO Matt Flannery. "Micro-loans have helped people increase their incomes through self-employment. The Small Things Challenge aims to continue empowering the world's poor so they can better support their families and keep their children in school, ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty."
The Small Things Challenge will take center stage at several high-profile activities at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, including Barrett's keynote speech on Friday. Conference attendees can also pledge support to Kiva.org and Save the Children – at kiosks at Intel's booth (Central Hall, booth #7153).
Barrett's speech is a part of the show's Technology and Emerging Countries Program, which focuses on the role technology plays to further economic growth. During the speech, Barrett will highlight how Save the Children's and Kiva.org's work is impacting millions of people worldwide already. He'll also deliver a special call-to-action to the audience.
Intel has also donated 10 notebook PCs and two Intel-powered classmate PCs that are currently being auctioned at http://stores.ebay.com/SmallThingsChallenge, along with items donated by the music groups Counting Crows and Maroon 5. All auction items are autographed by the bands' lead singers, Adam Duritz and Adam Levine, respectively, and starting bids range from $25 to $900.
About Intel CorporationThe Small Things Challenge builds upon Intel's 40 years of active involvement in improving education. More information is available at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/stc. Over the past decade, Intel has invested over $1 billion, and Intel employees have donated more than 2.5 million hours toward improving education in 50 countries.
Intel [NASDAQ: INTC], the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
About Kiva.orgKiva.org is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending Web site, empowering individuals to lend directly to an entrepreneur in the developing world. Founded in 2005, Kiva.org's mission is to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Kiva.org currently connects lenders in more than 100 countries with entrepreneurs in 42 developing countries, through 93 microfinance partners. Kiva.org has headquarters in San Francisco.
About Save the ChildrenSave the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the United States and 50 countries around the world. For more than 75 years, the relief and development agency has worked in some of the poorest, most remote communities to improve children's lives through education, health and economic opportunity programs. In 2006, Save the Children launched the Rewrite the Future campaign to provide quality education for children affected by conflict in their countries. Save the Children aims to provide quality education in conflict-affected countries for 8 million children by 2010. For more information on how Save the Children is helping millions of children access quality education visit http://www.savethechildren.org/.

Intel Plans to Release 320GB Solid-state Drives in Q4 2009

Bloomberg reports that Intel is planning on releasing a new, higher-capacity solid state drive, which will provide users with up to 320GB of storage capacity. In Q4 this year, the company will begin selling a total of eight new drives with capacity of 320GB, that will be part of Intel's Extreme and Mainstream SSD series. The chips used for these drives will be build using 32-nanometer production technology, Intel’s most advanced manufacturing method for the time being. The source also clamins that Intel has already contacted its partners and informed them for the new drives.The world's largest chipmaker also plans to introduce a new product called "Braidwood" that's slated for Q4 2009 too. It will include as much as 16GB of flash memory that will create “better responsiveness and boot-up time.” Though it's unclear whether this solution will be integrated into Intel based motherboards or it will stand for an optional separate storage drive, made only for installing operating systems.

Intel to Retaliate to AMD Phenom II Overclocking Feat, Plans Demonstration at CES '09

Intel plans its own public demonstration of the overclocking capabilities of the Core i7 processors. This, in response to rival AMD achieving an overclock of well beyond 5.00 GHz, and booting at speeds above 6.00 GHz. The engineers at Intel reportedly carried out a large-scale binning of Core i7 processors, to cherry-pick the best performing part. The scale of binning could well be best of 100,000 units.A chief engineer at Intel, Francoise Piednoel expressed his reservations regarding the 6.00 GHz overclocking feat AMD carried out with its upcoming Phenom II X4 processor last week, saying that the overclocking capabilities of the Phenom II X4 demonstrated do not reflect those of release-grade products, and cannot be replicated in a real-world setting. AMD may have disabled several sensors on the cherry-picked chip used in its demonstration, which facilitated that overclock. In response to this, Intel would be disabling the same sensors, in its special demonstration chip. The demo could be held at CES 2009. The professional overclocker chosen to achieve this feat would be none other than FUGGER from XtremeSystems. FUGGER could be set the task of taking the most desirable, binned Core i7 965 Extreme Edition chip all the way up to a stellar 7.00 GHz, if all goes well.

Intel to Take on Athlon Neo with New Low-Power Mobile CPUs

Currently leading AMD in every market-segment of CPUs, Intel is planning to take on the Athlon Neo series CPUs, a set of low-wattage CPUs specifically designed for the ultrathin form-factor notebooks. Intel's Athlon Neo competitor would take shape from its current ultra low-voltage (ULV) processors that feature in products such as the Apple Macbook Air.The processors will use the 22 sq mm packaging. Intel's lineup is expected to include ULV chips with rated TDPs as low as 10W, against AMD's Athlon Neo chips offering rated TDPs as low as 15W. There is no word on the availability of these chips, although with Athlon Neo based products coming out only in Q2 2009, that still leaves Intel at least three months to prepare its new ULV chips.

Intel to launch new CPUs for lower-cost thin notebooks

Intel is planning to release new processors for lower priced thin and light notebooks based on its Core architecture later this year. The new chips are said to be a tweak of the current ULV (ultra low voltage) Intel design and should fit into a segment pricier than the Atom, which powers netbooks, but below that of today’s ultra portable computer systems, which are typically priced at around $1500 - $3000 or even higher.In this sense, the new chips will be comparable to the Athlon Neo processor from AMD, which was recently announced alongside a $699 ultra portable model from HP, the Pavilion dv2. Sadly, Intel doesn't seem to be quite ready to share many more details at this time, with the company only saying that the processor could be used in laptops that are less than one inch thick, and that the processor itself would measure just 22 x 22-

Intel Xeon In for Price-Cuts

Following periodic price-cuts for its Core 2 series desktop CPUs, Intel could be planning significant price-cuts for its Xeon series enterprise CPUs. This, according to Pacific Crest analyst Michael McConnell. The price-cuts are model-specific. According to McConnel, they are expected to range between 15 and 40% for quad-core Xeon processors and around 13% for dual-core models.McConnel sees the price cuts as a response to excess inventories of Xeon processors, which is up 13% in Q4, worth up to US $3.85 billion. Another significant factor is AMD, which seems to be gaining market-share through HP, a major player with enterprise-computing. The new prices could be implemented by 18th of January.

Intel Reveals New In-Store Concept Technologies at Retail's Big Show

Taking advantage of a high-performing and energy-efficient chip the company already sells to computer makers, Intel Corporation today unveiled a retail point-of-sale (POS) proof-of-concept system that could lower a store's total cost of ownership while improving customer satisfaction. Revealed at the National Retail Federation Convention (NRF) in New York, Intel's proof-of-concept exhibits the latest in digital signage and point-of-sale technology in a kiosk form factor, and demonstrates how technology can enhance the retail shopping experience.
Accommodating consumer preferences for self-service fueled by e-commerce trends, the kiosk demonstration includes features that match the perks of Internet shopping, such as suggestive selling real-time inventory access, as well as showing promotions, product details and customer reviews. These features, in turn, facilitate sales associate up-selling and cross-selling opportunities, which will increase a retailer's bottom line and customer loyalty.The POS demo is based on the very popular and energy-efficient 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor that is inside hundreds of millions of today's laptops and PCs. Compared with legacy POS platforms, the processor in the demo can enable more than a 70 percent reduction in required power use while still providing as much as double the amount of raw processing performance as previous generations of processors.1 As such, energy savings from this POS system are passed on to retailers by way of lower energy bills."Intel-based technologies will ensure retailers are well-positioned to move through the current economy into a successful and profitable future, while giving their customers more information faster and easier than ever before," said Joe Jensen, general manager, Intel Embedded Computing Division. "We hope the combination of improving a customer's retail experience, while also arming sales associates with more accurate information and reducing operations costs, such as electricity bills and maintenance, is a compelling proposition for the world's retailers to take advantage of what Intel technology innovation has to offer."The proof-of-concept platform features Intel vPro technology (Intel vPro) with Intel Active Management Technology and offers lower maintenance costs, improved power management and security options such as system diagnosis. Intel vPro technology allows administrators to manage systems remotely, making it possible to turn off all systems overnight to increase energy savings and reduce the need for technicians to go on-site for system maintenance, resulting in decreased carbon emissions and lower operational expenses for retailers.The modular design of the proof-of-concept system promotes easy upgrades to next-generation CPU platforms so retailers can remain in sync with the latest technology advancements. The POS demo is customizable with a removable PC board and individual modules that can be added on, taken off, interchanged or replaced to meet evolving business needs.Intel's point-of-sale proof-of-concept demo was designed by frog design, a global innovation firm based in San Francisco. The demo will be on display at the Intel booth #2717 at NRF. For more information about the demo, visit http://www.intel.com/go/ic.

Intel and AMD Postpone 100% DDR3 Transition

Leading CPU makers Intel and AMD have adopted memory standards in fairly quick succession in the past. This however, doesn't seem to be the case with DDR3. AMD is yet to release a CPU that supports DDR3 memory, and is two years behind Intel with its DDR3 implementation plans. Intel on the other hand has managed 100% DDR3 dependency with only its premium Core i7 platform, with DDR3 not completely replacing DDR2 in any of its mainstream or value lineups.Market factors, namely the DRAM manufacturing industry, are increasingly posing difficulties to CPU makers to bring DDR3 memory at a consumer-friendly price point. With manufacturing costs refusing to come down and the Core i7 not able generate the expected demand that justifies selling triple channel kits at sub-$100 price-points, CPU makers are rethinking their large-scale DDR3 standard transition plans for their entire lineups. Intel on its part is contemplating on postponing its 5-series mainstream platform for the Intel Core i5 series processors. AMD on the other hand, is still struggling with technical difficulties in achieving stability and compatibility with DDR3 memory on its DDR3-supportive memory controllers the upcoming AM3-socket CPUs come with. So the company is also unlikely to transition to DDR3 until it is able to come out with a workable BIOS, sources add. It could be as long as 2010 by when a 100% industry-wide implementation of DDR3 can take place.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 dual-GPU review @ TechSpot

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 dual-GPU graphics card features 1792MB of memory which corresponds to the memory capacity of two GeForce GTX 260 boards. However, unlike the Radeon HD 4870 X2 which is literally two Radeon HD 4870 products stuck together, the GeForce GTX 295 seems to be more of a hybrid, sharing specs of both GeForce GTX 260 and 280 products.
Therefore, what we have here is an insanely fast graphics card that should be more than capable of taking on the Radeon HD 4870 X2. But how fast is GeForce GTX 295 exactly? We will be exploring that next.

Intel Core i7 Makes it Past 4.61 GHz with Water-Cooling

In a move that asserts Intel's undisputed leadership over the PC microprocessor market, Intel senior performance analyst François Piednoel conducted a special exhibition at the CES 2009 event, where he demonstrated the Core i7's overclocking and resulting performance potential employing water cooling. The water-cooled Intel Core i7 reached speeds in excess of 4.60 GHz, proving it has better overclocking potential than AMD's Phenom II X4 when water-cooled.The setup included an Intel Core i7 sample seated on an Intel "Smackover" DX58SO motherboard. The motherboard was backed by Intel's own desktop control-center software that provides software-level performance management and monitoring. The processor's vCore was set at 1.44V, with the northbridge set at 1.21V. The clock speed of 4.61 GHz was achieved with a bus speed of 144 MHz with a multiplier value of 32x. Temperatures recoded showed the CPU chugging along at 61 °C, with the CPU VRM at 31 °C and the X58 chipset at 41 °C. The feat shows Core i7 to be the better CPU to overclock when water-cooling is used, while an Intel Core i7 is yet to reach 6.2+ GHz speeds, just for the kicks.

Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition review

Today marks the release of Intel's latest and greatest processor architecture to date.
For the past two years Intel has dominated the CPU market with their Core 2 processors, reaping havoc on AMD's Athlon and Phenom products. Yet despite of this significant dominance, Intel will be pushing the Core 2 aside and make room for the new Core i7 processor series.
When you consider that the Pentium 4 lived on for roughly four years, it'd seem almost criminal to be axing the Core 2’s lead so early, especially considering the success that the Core 2 has been. While the Pentium 4 often played second best to AMD's Athlon64 range, today AMD is finding itself in hot water, and we can't even begin to imagine what will happen now with the Core i7 introduction taking place today.

It's becoming quite evident that Intel is enjoying being on top of their game, and the Core i7 should ensure that they stay this way for some time to come.
Today we will be introducing you to three new Core i7 processors based on the new Intel Nehalem microarchitecture, each featuring 4-cores and operating in the 2.66 to 3.20GHz range. Like the Core 2 family, these new processors feature model numbers, designed to keep things simple

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Initially Intel is releasing just three processors, one of which is an Extreme Edition version.
The Core i7 965 Extreme Edition runs at 3.20GHz and features a QPI (QuickPath Interface) throughput of 6.4GT/s, which is the key difference here. The mainstream versions of the processor include the Core i7 920 and 940, clocked at 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz, respectively. These more affordable processors feature a QPI throughput of just 4.8GT/s, so it will be interesting to discover what kind of impact this has on performance.
As we move along, we will detail some interesting new concepts introduced on the Core i7's Nehalem architecture, talk about the future of this platform, how it performs today (a.k.a. the benchmark galore), only to close up with some preliminary overclocking findings

Cisco, Intel and Microsoft Lead Collaboration to Improve Global Education Assessments

Three leading technology companies announced today a collaboration aimed at transforming global educational assessment and improving learning outcomes. At the Learning and Technology World Forum in London, Cisco, Intel and Microsoft unveiled plans to underwrite a multi-sector research project to develop new assessment approaches, methods and technologies for measuring the success of 21st-century teaching and learning in classrooms around the world. During the session, the three companies called upon educational leaders, governments and other corporations to join in the effort.The three companies also announced the appointment of Barry McGaw PhD, currently the director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, as executive director of the project. McGaw will oversee an executive committee, project lead team, and up to 50 leading experts and innovators in academia and government, to collaborate on the research and assist in influencing the development of future international and national assessments.With an extensive background in academia and research, McGaw has served as the director for Education at the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) where he was involved with international education assessments in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)."Shrinking resources and market pressures mean that education can no longer be the sole responsibility of governments," said McGaw. "Building the future workforce will require a commitment from the private sector to partner with public institutions. Reforming assessment is essential to enabling any systemic change in education. And change on a global scale is required to equip students of today with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow. PISA's international education assessments focus on key competencies in reading, mathematics and science. In PISA 2003, we took a step by adding an assessment of problem solving, but one limited to analogical reasoning. We hoped to add information and communications technology (ICT) competence in PISA 2006 but did not succeed. We all need now to work together to advance assessment practice."The assessment research and development project spearheaded by Cisco, Intel and Microsoft has received the support of major international assessment organizations. Specifically, OECD and the International Association of the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) have expressed interest in using the evidence-based and verifiable output of the 21st-century skills assessment to inform the development of the next versions of PISA and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), their respective international benchmarks."In the global economy, it is the world's best performing education systems, not simply improvement by national standards, that have become the yardstick for educational success," said Andreas Schleicher, Head of Education Indicators and Analysis, OECD. "That is why more and more countries measure the relative strengths and weaknesses of their education systems with OECD's global PISA assessments. To do so effectively, it is crucially important that these assessments continue to evolve to reflect the skills that matter for individuals and economies. Technology-based assessments will be critical to this and the project brings together key partners that can help PISA make this happen"."IEA is committed to the greater integration of IT into all its assessments, especially TIMSS and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study," said Seamus Hegarty, chair of the IEA. "This reflects the changes in learning environments and the potential of technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. We look forward to working with the collaboration to achieve our common goals for young learners."Based on extensive research1, Cisco, Intel and Microsoft concluded that most education systems have not kept pace with the dramatic changes in the economy and the skill sets that are required for students to succeed. These skills include the ability to think critically and creatively; to work cooperatively; and to adapt to the evolving use of technology in business and society.The project will focus on several key areas that will offer the most promising opportunities for transforming education and assessment. Teams of educators and academics will focus on enabling education assessment methodologies and technologies, effective learning environments, and replicable ICT-enabled teaching and assessment methods that foster the development and assessment of the skills students will need to succeed. To accelerate the project in time to influence the next versions of PISA and TIMSS, the project will review successful classroom practices for the teaching and testing of 21st-century skills and draw implications for large-scale assessments."Cisco believes a holistic transformation of the global educational system requires a long-term, multi-stakeholder commitment from the public and private sector," said Michael Stevenson, vice president of Global Education, Cisco. "We believe the collaboration between Cisco, Intel and Microsoft can serve as an impetus in creating and implementing an international assessment standard to measure skills and abilities that are critical for student success in the 21st-century.""Cisco, Intel and Microsoft each have a long commitment to global education and enabling and empowering educators," said Will Swope, Intel's vice president and general manager, Corporate Sustainability Group. "The collaboration will help us to reach our common goal of transforming education around the world. Specifically, we are aiming to resolve the gap that exists between what goes on in schools and what goes on in the real world and better measure the skills that are truly needed for the 21st-century.""As we continue to engage with government leaders, institutions and educators, one of the most important points that is consistently raised is the need for public and private sectors to unite in an effort to extend access to quality education, increase graduation rates and create a consistent way to measure success," said Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president for the Unlimited Potential Group, the Education Product Group, and Technology Policy and Strategy at Microsoft. "Through this collaboration, we hope to inspire others to join the mission because we believe that, together, we can make greater impact towards ensuring students of today are better prepared for the workforce of tomorrow."

Intel Atom N280 Details Surface

Back in June 2008, when Intel Introduced the Atom N270, reviewers found its level of performance sufficient for ULPC applications back then. Over a period of six months, it became evident that ULPCs require to deliver a little more than just internet applications. With Intel being reluctant on porting the dual-core Atom to ULPC, owing to its thermal characteristics, there is a need for stepping up the performance level of its relatively cooler single-core Atom.Therefore, Atom N280. Earlier speculations pointed out that this chip would merely come with a multiplier boost sending its clock speed to 1.86 GHz against 1.60 GHz of its predecessor, but it turns out that Intel was looking to expand the FSB of the existing N270, with a minor clock speed increase. The Atom N280 features a broader 667 MHz FSB against the 533 MHz the N270 comes with. It ends up with a clock speed of 1.66 GHz. While N270 achieved its 1.60 GHz with (12 x 133 MHz), N280 does it with (10 x 166 MHz). Hypothetically, a future model with a 12x FSB multiplier could set the clock speed at 2.00 GHz. What's more, Intel gets rid of the i945GSE chipset infamous for thermal characteristics increasingly unsuitable for ULPCs. It has been replaced with the supposedly cooler GN40 chipset. The N280 has begun surfacing on specification sheets of upcoming ASUS Eee PC models, but it will be only by 2Q, 2009 by the time we start seeing products based on it. Paired with the GN40, the Atom N280 is expected to be priced at US $60-65.

Intel to delay mainstream Core i7 processors?

Intel could push back the launch of its mainstream Core i7 desktop processors, codenamed Lynnfield, along with its P55 chipset by at least a month. This according to DigiTimes, which claims the poor economic conditions have created significant overstock problems that will require motherboard makers to continue selling their current P4x-based hardware for a bit longer.The two products were initially scheduled to be launched by the end of July this year, but apparently won't arrive until late August or early September, perhaps even at a later time depending on the market situation. Considering that Intel just announced its Q4 2008 profits were down 90 percent from the same quarter in 2007, one can only assume the chipmaker itself has plenty of unsold inventory, and is in no condition to argue with its motherboard partners.In fact, rumor has it that these same overstock problems will force Intel to announce a price cut on Monday, affecting its line of Core 2 Quad processors. Meanwhile, it is also being reported that Intel has been forced to put off their transition to DDR3-only products until 2010 over pricing concerns, and they will be joined by AMD which has also delayed adoption due to technical difficulties.

Intel and AMD Postpone 100% DDR3 Transition

Leading CPU makers Intel and AMD have adopted memory standards in fairly quick succession in the past. This however, doesn't seem to be the case with DDR3. AMD is yet to release a CPU that supports DDR3 memory, and is two years behind Intel with its DDR3 implementation plans. Intel on the other hand has managed 100% DDR3 dependency with only its premium Core i7 platform, with DDR3 not completely replacing DDR2 in any of its mainstream or value lineups.Market factors, namely the DRAM manufacturing industry, are increasingly posing difficulties to CPU makers to bring DDR3 memory at a consumer-friendly price point. With manufacturing costs refusing to come down and the Core i7 not able generate the expected demand that justifies selling triple channel kits at sub-$100 price-points, CPU makers are rethinking their large-scale DDR3 standard transition plans for their entire lineups. Intel on its part is contemplating on postponing its 5-series mainstream platform for the Intel Core i5 series processors. AMD on the other hand, is still struggling with technical difficulties in achieving stability and compatibility with DDR3 memory on its DDR3-supportive memory controllers the upcoming AM3-socket CPUs come with. So the company is also unlikely to transition to DDR3 until it is able to come out with a workable BIOS, sources add. It could be as long as 2010 by when a 100% industry-wide implementation of DDR3 can take place.

Intel January Price Cuts Update

On Monday we informed you here that Intel intends to cut the prices on some of its processors. Well, it looks that HKEPC's information wasn't exactly precise as some of our readers pointed out. Now thanks to The Tech Report we have some new info, the new prices will hit on Monday, January 19 and primarily affect Intel's 45nm quad-core processors:
Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.00GHz 12MB 1333MHz $530 -> ~$322
Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz 12MB 1333MHz $316 -> ~$267
Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz 6MB 1333MHz $266 -> ~$217
Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.50GHz 4MB 1333MHz $224 -> ~$194
Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz 4MB 1333MHz $193 -> ~$163Again, this is information from "an anonymous tipster", so these prices

Intel Postpones the Launch Schedule of Lynnfield CPUs and P55 Chipset

I'm afraid that what's to be told here, is hard to be categorized as good news. Industry observer DigiTimes reports that Intel is about to postpone the initiation of Lynnfield processors and P55 chipset. Chips based on the quad-core Lynnfield design, are supposed to bring Nehalem to more people, because they'll represent the budget line of Core i7 processors.Intel has recently decided to postpone its next-generation mainstream CPU Lynnfield along with the P55 chipset to the end of August or the beginning of September this year, and may postpone them to an even later time depending on the market situation, according to sources at motherboard makers. Both Lynnfield and P55 were originally scheduled to launch by the end of July. The economic decline which has caused motherboard makers to suffer overstocked chipset inventory is the major reason for the pull back, according to the sources. After the P55 launches, Intel plans to phase out non-IGP P45 and P43 chipsets and will transition its 4-series IGP chipsets to the entry-level.

Intel 5-Series Chipset Lineup Detailed

Now faced with delays, Intel's upcoming Ibex-Peak platform, a next-generation mainstream implementation of the Nehalem architecture, is an interesting mix of technologies, where Intel seeks to minimise the platform and energy footprints while delivering value and performance through a clever bit of rearrangement of system components. HKEPC has learned that Intel's 5-Series mainstream chipsets consists of five models: P57, Q57, H57, P55, and H55. The P57 and P55 are built for the consumer PC with discrete graphics. The H57 and H55 chipsets are built for processors with integrated graphics, with support for the Intel FDI. The Q57 is built for the business / enterprise-client PC, it supports a host of exclusive Intel technologies that make the machine easier to manage.

Intel® WiFi Link 5300 and Intel® WiFi Link 5100 Products

The Intel® WiFi Link 5000 is a family of IEEE 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N¹ wireless network adapters that operate in both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz spectra. These adapters, available in both PCIe* Mini Card and Half Mini Card form factor deliver up to 450 Mbps of bandwidth² via features such as MIMO technology, 40 MHz Channel support, and Packet Aggregation.
The widespread acceptance of 802.11 Draft-N¹ products has been driven by users seeking to exchange information in a timely manner, stream High Definition (HD) video, and handle voice, video, and data traffic concurrently. This has led to the adoption of 802.11 Draft-N¹ as a key technology component in both Consumer and Enterprise notebook PCs. The Intel® WiFi Link 5000 Series Wireless Adapters incorporate this 802.11 Draft-N¹ technology with the Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 5300 Series delivering leading edge bandwidths of up to 450Mbps²

Intel® Desktop Board DQ45EK

Intel® Desktop Board DQ45EK in mini-ITX form factor supports Intel® vPRO™ technology which gives users the unprecedented ability to remotely maintain, manage, and protect their business PCs. Pair this board with any 65W 45nm Intel® Core™2 processor to get the latest multi-tasking power in more energy-efficient and compact package. Even with the small form factor, this board gives you the ability to enjoy new features such as dual-DVI video output and eSATA port on back-panel, as well as software enhancing security and remote management options for your system. Intel® Desktop Board DQ45EK supports Intel® AMT 5.0 Professional, Intel® Trusted Platform Module, and is Microsoft Windows Vista* Premium WHQL certified.

Intel® Core™2 Processor with Viiv™ Technology

When you want a sensational high-definition (HD) experience, look no further than PCs with Intel® Core™2 processor with Viiv™ technology. Built on the latest hafnium-infused 45nm dual- and quad-core processors, these systems give you performance for HD audio and video and your most demanding applications.
Key components
The cutting edge is now. Every PC with an Intel Core 2 processor with Viiv technology is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo or Intel Core 2 Quad processor to give you the performance to run demanding applications and manage your HD entertainment. To see the list of all processors available for the Intel Core 2 processor with Viiv technology, see the PC Requirements page.
PCs built from the ground up for sensational high-definition experiences. The Intel Core 2 processor with Viiv technology includes the latest Intel chipsets with most everything you need to build a multimedia PC for HD content. Experience stunning sound from movies and music with up to 7.1 surround sound capabilities enabled by Intel® High Definition Audio (Intel® HD Audio). Get full 1080P video playback for movie clips, media streams, and the latest generation of HD video cameras with optional Intel® Clear Video Technology. And explore the Internet with 1GB-capable broadband Ethernet to quickly access high-definition content. The possibilities are endless.
Operating system
Microsoft Vista Home Premium* makes it easy to control and enjoy your digital media.

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor

Brilliantly fast
With faster, intelligent, multi-core technology that applies processing power where it's needed most, new Intel® Core™ i7 processors deliver an incredible breakthrough in PC performance. They are the best desktop processors on the planet.¹
You'll multitask applications faster and unleash incredible digital media creation. And you'll experience maximum performance for everything you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® HT technology)³, which maximizes performance to match your workload.

Intel® Celeron® Processor

Many software applications for everyday tasks are now designed for dual-core processors. With the Intel® Celeron® processor, you can now take basic computing to new levels; become more creative and productive in the home, office, or classroom.
In addition, security and virus protection often means running more than one application at a time, and the Celeron processor has the power to run them simultaneously. Based on energy-efficient microarchitecture, the Celeron processor delivers superior energy-efficient dual-core performance.

Intel® Centrino® with vPro™ Technology

Business takes you places-when it does, you want the best Intel®-based laptops for business with Intel® Centrino® with vPro™ technology. Combining remote manageability, unique hardware-assisted and proactive security features, and breakthrough mobile performance, these laptops provide reliability IT can trust, unleashed.

Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ Technology

Keep your workforce more secure, managed, and mobile. With security and manageability built right onto the chip, Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology provides hardware-assisted remote isolation, diagnostics, and repair, so you can manage your mobile workforce remotely, even if the system's OS is unresponsive.¹ And with exceptional dual-core performance, 5X better wireless performanceΩ and the longest possible battery life.²
Now you can also get notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology in astonishingly thin and light packages. As the smallest version of Intel® Centrino® processor technology yet-50 percent smaller-you're most mobile workforce can enjoy the sleekest full-featured and performance packed notebooks³ along with improved energy efficiency and power savings.

Chips sector says all not lost after Intel

It is not the end of the world for the country’s multibillion-dollar electronics industry in the Philippines. They have seen downturns in the past and they survived.
These were the fighting words Friday of Ernie Santiago, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI) as the global financial meltdown started taking its toll in the country’s top dollar-earning industry.
Last year was already bad as the industry growth retreated to negative five percent. As the global recession deepens, the industry expects to plunge even to lower levels this year, Santiago admitted. It will only be the fourth year that the industry suffered declines since the 1970s when it started.
There is bound to be casualties, he said, but the organization still does not have the numbers.
One of the big players, Intel, announced the other day it is closing its chip-making operations in Cavite and two other plants in Malaysia. Two thousand workers in its Cavite plant lost their jobs. Texas Instruments based in Baguio earlier retired close to 400 workers and redeployed another 100 to its Clark facility.
To avoid too many job losses, the industry players have adopted several measures to keep their noses above water, Santiago told PhilExport News and Features in an exclusive interview.
Most SEIPI members have adopted four-day workweeks instead of the usual six working days as part of their cost-cutting strategy, Santiago said.
They have likewise taken extra efforts to stay profitable so they can ride through the crisis.
“There is really nothing wrong with the industry,” Santiago pointed out. “The demand is there but for lack of access to credit, buyers are canceling their orders. The crisis, he said, is affecting all businesses, not only electronics. Philexport News and Features

Intel Readies Push into Mobile Internet Devices

Apple didn't take kindly to disparaging remarks made publicly last fall by a pair of Intel (INTC) executives about the iPhone and its chips, designed by ARM Holdings. The computer maker was so incensed, in fact, that Chief Executive Steve Jobs called Intel's Chief Executive Paul Otellini to complain, people familiar with the matter say.
The jabs stopped and Intel publicly backed off its comments. But the episode is a reminder of Intel's larger ambitions for handheld computers and mobile phones, and how those plans could put it at loggerheads with some longtime partners. Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is readying new chips and a version of the open-source Linux operating system specially designed to run a new class of "mobile Internet devices," or MIDs. Consumers could use the devices to play high-definition video, make Internet-powered phone calls, or download directions and local business listings on the go. The effort could presage an attempt by Intel to land its products in pocket-size smartphones, a category where Apple (AAPL) has sold 17.4 million units.
At the same time, as Intel tries to tap into the burgeoning market for smartphone and handheld chips, estimated by iSuppli to be worth $3 billion this year, its mobile Internet devices could also compete with the iPhone for buyers. Intel's Linux effort also poses a threat to longtime collaborator Microsoft (MSFT), which is trying to land its Windows Mobile operating system in more handheld devices. Intel is stocking up on Linux talent, partly to aid the handheld effort. "Intel is going to be entering solidly into Apple's space," says Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "It's going to make for an interesting next decade." Apple declined to comment.

Intel’s Barrett to retire in May

Intel chairman Craig Barrett, the former academic credited with building the company into the world’s foremost chip maker, will retire in May after 35 years at the firm, it was announced on Friday.
Barrett, who turned Intel into one of the technology sector’s powerhouses and a global household name, is leaving just when the company is slashing jobs, mothballing factories and struggling to sustain growth with IT spending crumbling.
The cost-cutting measures at Intel, which remains the world’s top maker of microprocessors used in personal computers, ahead of Advanced Micro Devices, underscore the threat to a technology industry undergoing potentially one of its worst-ever crises.
“When you look at the overall tenure there’s a lot to be proud of and a lot was accomplished,” said Caris & Co analyst Betsy Van Hees.
“It’s definitely a loss that he’s stepping down.”
Intel, like much of the technology sector, is feeling the pain of the global slowdown and cratering demand for PCs. It just announced plans to cut up to 6000 jobs, and posted a 23% decline in revenue in its most recent quarter.
Companies from Microsoft to Seagate Technology are laying off thousands to try to offset dwindling corporate and consumer spending.
Van Hees says Intel is managing well amid the crisis, but thinks it’s poised to report its first loss in more over decades in the first quarter. Intel stock closed up 30c, or 2,34%, at $13,12 on the Nasdaq on Friday.

Intel to Call on AMD, to Discuss Possible License Violations

Silicon giant Intel flexed its IPR muscle by reportedly calling rival AMD to discussions on possible violations of past license agreements. AMD and Intel share license agreements dating back to 1976, which eventually transformed into the agreement of letting AMD use Intel's x86 micro-architecture in making its own products. Later in 2001, the two companies met again to share x86-related technologies. Such agreements bind licensees of the x86 architecture to confining their technologies to themselves as the license is non-transferable.The two companies are expected to meet to discuss on how the past two major events in the recent history of AMD: the acquisition of ATI Technologies, and the spin-off of the manufacturing division to The Foundry Company respect the terms of the agreements. Earlier, AMD stated that the ATI acquisition does not violate any of its cross-agreements with Intel, while the company sounds optimistic about getting The Foundry Company to existence smoothly through one of its big hurdles: a clean-chit from Intel, after having crossed bigger hurdles such as government approvals and support from the various countries it holds its facilities in.

Intel to cut up to 6,000 workers, close 2 plants

Intel is yet another big-name company with large job cuts in the near future, following the announcement that they plan to shut down some of their manufacturing plants and slimming production at others. Two overseas plants, located in Malaysia and the Philippines, will be shut down in the coming months, both of which produced older-technology silicon. In addition to the plants closing, the company will also be halting production of older 200mm technology at their famous Fab 20 in Oregon, which is one of their largest.The plants closing and production halts will result in large job cuts, upwards of 7% of their workforce. That represents 5,000 to 6,000 people, though luckily for them some positions will be made open at other Intel facilities. All of this is an effort by Intel to reduce their overhead in producing older technology, allowing them to focus on newer development.

More Details Trickle in on Intel's New Atom Platform, the Pine Trial-D Based Nettop

Following the story which we covered just a few days ago, Expreview has got more information on the new Intel Atom platform, codenamed Pine Trail-D. From the new information, we see that the CPU, IGP and MCH will in fact all be integrated into one chip, as opposed to just being moved onto the same die. The CPU has also been listed as at least 1.6Ghz, double that of the current entry level Atom processor. Despite the platform having no need for a northbridge, with it all moved into the CPU, Intel have managed to keep the die size at 484 sq. mm. On that note however, it seems that the IGP is still DirectX 9 based, though further details on the graphical capabilities are still not yet known. We also see, that the new Tigerpoint southbridge, will support 8 USB devices, 4 PCI-E x1 lanes, 2 PCI ports, 2 SATA ports and HD audio.

Intel Plans to Release 320GB Solid-state Drives in Q4 2009

Bloomberg reports that Intel is planning on releasing a new, higher-capacity solid state drive, which will provide users with up to 320GB of storage capacity. In Q4 this year, the company will begin selling a total of eight new drives with capacity of 320GB, that will be part of Intel's Extreme and Mainstream SSD series. The chips used for these drives will be build using 32-nanometer production technology, Intel’s most advanced manufacturing method for the time being. The source also clamins that Intel has already contacted its partners and informed them for the new drives.The world's largest chipmaker also plans to introduce a new product called "Braidwood" that's slated for Q4 2009 too. It will include as much as 16GB of flash memory that will create “better responsiveness and boot-up time.” Though it's unclear whether this solution will be integrated into Intel based motherboards or it will stand for an optional separate storage drive, made only for installing operating systems.