ATI's much delayed R600 core and architecture initially failed to convince critics and consumers when it was finally released last year but the company has moved quickly to shrinking the core to 55nm, which resulted in the Radeon HD 3000 series merely six months after the R600's debut. While ATI still had to concede the high-end to NVIDIA, it did slow the worrying erosion of ATI's market share. In fact, the graphics division was doing fairly well as opposed to the company's CPU business.
Early this year, this relatively successful die shrink was extended to the lower and mainstream segments. Christened the Radeon HD 3600 and 3400 series, these new graphics cards are basically 55nm refreshes of the Radeon HD 2600 and 2400 series respectively, with updated specifications that support the latest standards being pushed aggressively by ATI as a way to distinguish its products from its competitor, like Shader Model 4.1 and DirectX 10.1 support . They are also the first ATI products to natively support DisplayPort, the new audio/video display interface that will compete against HDMI.
As you can see from the specifications, the Radeon HD 3650 is exactly like the Radeon HD 2600 XT in terms of its hardware, with the same number of unified shaders and ROPs. The limitations of the older chipset are also evident, like the 128-bit memory bus. On the plus side, the die shrink means there's no longer a need for a power connector due to its lower power draw and in the same vein, ATI's power saving technology, PowerPlay is also present to reduce power consumption during idle. ATI has managed to optimize the core, leading to a slightly smaller transistor count of 378 million. Finally, there's PCIe 2.0 x16 support, making it suitable for newer motherboards, along with CrossFireX support, allowing it to be linked to multiple ATI GPUs of differing speeds.
However, given the similarities in hardware processing power between the Radeon HD 2600 and 3600 series, the lower clock speed of the Radeon HD 3650 does seem to hint that ATI is not that concerned with the performance. Instead, this new SKU appears to be about updating features and bringing the company's mainstream products in line with its existing Radeon HD 3800 series. Are the lower clocks going to severely hurt this SKU? To find out, we'll be looking at a Radeon HD 3650 graphics card from MSI.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
AMD 790FX 4-Way Motherboard Roundup
In November last year, AMD officially launched their Spider platform, consisting of the AMD Phenom processor, 790FX core logic chipset and the ATI Radeon HD 3800 series graphics cards. In our launch article , we focused on the technology that was put into the 790FX chipset, and the introduction of the Phenom's new AM2+ socket type. However, you'd probably have noticed that things have still been relatively quiet on the AMD front, even after the high-profile Spider launch worldwide.
We've actually had samples of AMD 790FX motherboards sitting in our labs since then, but a proper review has been long coming due to circumstantial delays in getting all the necessary components to run, such as a working Phenom processor. As more motherboards arrived, and still no processor in sight, it was obvious that we now had enough boards for a comparative roundup instead, effectively killing four birds with one stone. So, when AMD graciously sent us an AMD Phenom 9900 processor, gears were set in motion for some intensive testing of four major AMD 790FX enthusiast motherboards. Our contenders: the ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe, DFI LANParty DK 790FX-M2RS, Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DQ6 and MSI K9A2 Platinum.
We've actually had samples of AMD 790FX motherboards sitting in our labs since then, but a proper review has been long coming due to circumstantial delays in getting all the necessary components to run, such as a working Phenom processor. As more motherboards arrived, and still no processor in sight, it was obvious that we now had enough boards for a comparative roundup instead, effectively killing four birds with one stone. So, when AMD graciously sent us an AMD Phenom 9900 processor, gears were set in motion for some intensive testing of four major AMD 790FX enthusiast motherboards. Our contenders: the ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe, DFI LANParty DK 790FX-M2RS, Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DQ6 and MSI K9A2 Platinum.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Special Preview: Samsung Soul
The Soul Within
The U900 or preferably known as the Soul was heavily promoted as part of a major advertising campaign initiated by none other than its maker, Samsung and unveiled in spectacular fashion at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. As we found out, the Soul is Samsung's flagship model for 2008, so it's quite understandable why the Korean giant has placed so much focus on this handset. If you're intrigued by the origins of the Soul's name, here's a little background information:
Soul was named to honor the completion of its successful "Ultra Edition" series.
Soul is an abbreviation of "The Spirit Of Ultra".
The U900 or preferably known as the Soul was heavily promoted as part of a major advertising campaign initiated by none other than its maker, Samsung and unveiled in spectacular fashion at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. As we found out, the Soul is Samsung's flagship model for 2008, so it's quite understandable why the Korean giant has placed so much focus on this handset. If you're intrigued by the origins of the Soul's name, here's a little background information:
Soul was named to honor the completion of its successful "Ultra Edition" series.
Soul is an abbreviation of "The Spirit Of Ultra".
Intel's Atom and the Rise of the Netbook
Silverthorne and Diamondville Atomized
Exactly a month back, Intel shared with its partners and the media more information of the Silverthorne codenamed processors - Intel's first purpose-built processor designed solely for ultra mobile computing solutions. On 2nd of March, the company finally christened it as the Intel Atom processor. If you're wondering of its market potential, while niche at the moment, it has a very huge untapped potential in both emerging and mature markets thanks to the kind of devices that the Intel Atom will power. We'll give you a quick rundown with the state of things and why the Atom will be big (pun intended).
For several years, Intel has been capitalizing on their more power-optimized notebook-class processors to be used in smaller and lighter computing solutions (just as how desktop processor designs were scaled to the mobile space in the distant past of the pre-Centrino days). Think of the thin and light notebook solutions and the UMPC solutions to-date; while the notebooks have fared reasonably well in their form factor, the size, build and compute power of a UMPC has been far from practical. Part of the reason lies with the clunky Windows interface and the lack of a leaner Windows operating system that can operate smooth enough with the given UMPC hardware specifications. The other major stumbling block is the hardware powering the UMPC themselves which limit them to their existing chunky size. What they lack is processor that has similar computing capability as the current ultra low voltage processors, but with far lower thermal output and power requirements. The all-new Atom processor is targeted squarely at this segment as this single-core, 512KB L2, HT-enabled, 47-million transistor equipped processor is designed for sub-2W operation.
As mentioned earlier, Silverthorne was the initial codename for the Atom processor but sometime later, Intel also mentioned of Diamondville. This is just a variant of Silverthorne, so both of these core code names belong to the Intel Atom processor family. How they differ is basically the segmentation of products they cater to. Silverthorne processors are really optimized for the lowest power possible (as low as 0.5 watts consumption) and are meant for devices like mobile Internet devices (MID) and other in-your-pocket devices. Diamondville however is more cost optimized and is suitable for UMPC and other low-cost, low-profile notebooks. With their native x86 ISA derived from the Merom architecture, the Atom processors hold the advantage of immediate software compatibility of the mass market as opposed to ARM-based processors and the likes. However the Atom (even considering the Silverthorne variant), is not quite yet the ARM application processor competitor in terms of size and power considerations for the handheld market, but it will eventually get to that stage sometime next year.
Another Centrono Ecosystem for MIDs
In addition to announcing the Atom processors, Intel is also embracing another Centrino brand category solely for pocketable mobile devices such as the MID and to push Intel's branding/architecture into this space. Formerly known as the Menlow platform, it is now the Intel Centrino Atom Processor technology. Chipset details are still sketchy, but we heard that Intel will not willfully enforce its own networking module in this platform and will allow third-party vendors to supply them too. The main reason was to allow OEMs and ODMs to tailor their mobility solutions to cater to varying needs and to hopefully drive up the adoption of the Centrino Atom platform with a little more leniency. Of course, once Intel gains a strong foothold, we can't say if they would still adopt this stance.
While other products like UMPC and compact notebooks may choose to adopt the Intel Atom processors and the Menlow platform, they are quite unlikely to bear the Centrino Atom branding as it was specifically targeted for the MID-class devices.
Exactly a month back, Intel shared with its partners and the media more information of the Silverthorne codenamed processors - Intel's first purpose-built processor designed solely for ultra mobile computing solutions. On 2nd of March, the company finally christened it as the Intel Atom processor. If you're wondering of its market potential, while niche at the moment, it has a very huge untapped potential in both emerging and mature markets thanks to the kind of devices that the Intel Atom will power. We'll give you a quick rundown with the state of things and why the Atom will be big (pun intended).
For several years, Intel has been capitalizing on their more power-optimized notebook-class processors to be used in smaller and lighter computing solutions (just as how desktop processor designs were scaled to the mobile space in the distant past of the pre-Centrino days). Think of the thin and light notebook solutions and the UMPC solutions to-date; while the notebooks have fared reasonably well in their form factor, the size, build and compute power of a UMPC has been far from practical. Part of the reason lies with the clunky Windows interface and the lack of a leaner Windows operating system that can operate smooth enough with the given UMPC hardware specifications. The other major stumbling block is the hardware powering the UMPC themselves which limit them to their existing chunky size. What they lack is processor that has similar computing capability as the current ultra low voltage processors, but with far lower thermal output and power requirements. The all-new Atom processor is targeted squarely at this segment as this single-core, 512KB L2, HT-enabled, 47-million transistor equipped processor is designed for sub-2W operation.
As mentioned earlier, Silverthorne was the initial codename for the Atom processor but sometime later, Intel also mentioned of Diamondville. This is just a variant of Silverthorne, so both of these core code names belong to the Intel Atom processor family. How they differ is basically the segmentation of products they cater to. Silverthorne processors are really optimized for the lowest power possible (as low as 0.5 watts consumption) and are meant for devices like mobile Internet devices (MID) and other in-your-pocket devices. Diamondville however is more cost optimized and is suitable for UMPC and other low-cost, low-profile notebooks. With their native x86 ISA derived from the Merom architecture, the Atom processors hold the advantage of immediate software compatibility of the mass market as opposed to ARM-based processors and the likes. However the Atom (even considering the Silverthorne variant), is not quite yet the ARM application processor competitor in terms of size and power considerations for the handheld market, but it will eventually get to that stage sometime next year.
Another Centrono Ecosystem for MIDs
In addition to announcing the Atom processors, Intel is also embracing another Centrino brand category solely for pocketable mobile devices such as the MID and to push Intel's branding/architecture into this space. Formerly known as the Menlow platform, it is now the Intel Centrino Atom Processor technology. Chipset details are still sketchy, but we heard that Intel will not willfully enforce its own networking module in this platform and will allow third-party vendors to supply them too. The main reason was to allow OEMs and ODMs to tailor their mobility solutions to cater to varying needs and to hopefully drive up the adoption of the Centrino Atom platform with a little more leniency. Of course, once Intel gains a strong foothold, we can't say if they would still adopt this stance.
While other products like UMPC and compact notebooks may choose to adopt the Intel Atom processors and the Menlow platform, they are quite unlikely to bear the Centrino Atom branding as it was specifically targeted for the MID-class devices.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Lenovo ThinkPad X300
Almost two weeks ago, we found ourselves reading an article from Business Week , citing Lenovo's Senior Vice-President Peter Hortensius fitting the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 into an interoffice mail envelope in response to the unveiling of the MacBook Air at Macworld 2008. Today, at the Lenovo X300 launch event, we got a chance to admire the X300 in all its slim glory earlier on, sans the envelope test (though we really should have tried that).
Envelope test aside, all we had to do was pick up the X300, or known internally by its initial code name "Kodachi", to find ourselves loving the whole form factor. However slim and lightweight the X300 may be though, it is by no means flimsy as Lenovo has been able to retain the ruggedness and solid build quality that are hallmarks of the ThinkPad series. The X300 even features Lenovo's next generation roll cage design for added durability.
Specification-wise, the X300 sports quite an impressive set of technologies. It is one of the first few notebooks to feature Intel's new Core 2 Duo SL7100 low voltage processor, which was designed to fit into this new breed of ultra-thin notebooks. This is similar to the processor Intel shrunk specifically for the MacBook Air, but not the same model. The SL7100 on the Lenovo X300 operates at 1.2GHz, while the MacBook Air features 1.6GHz to 1.8GHz processors.
The rest of the standard configuration include 1GB of DDR2 RAM (upgradable to 4GB), Intel GMA X3100 graphics, a sinfully thin 13.3-inch LED backlit TFT screen and it even manages to squeeze in an internal DVD burner. The X300 comes preloaded with either Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate or the rollback choice of Windows XP Pro.
In the local context, connectivity options for the X300 will include Bluetooth 2.0 and Intel's Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG wireless adapter. The X300 will also feature an Ethernet port as well as three USB 2.0 ports. It even boasts WiMax and HSDPA support as well, but these features are only to be found in X300's sold in the United States for now. They will not be included in models coming into the Singapore market, which we attribute to the absence of a WiMax infrastructure here.
Depending on configuration, the X300 starts off as a 1.33kg ultra-lightweight with a somewhat limited 3-cell Li-Polymer battery, and reaches 1.59kg if one were to opt for the standard-sized 6-cell Li-Ion battery. A stronger battery lifespan is heavily featured on the X300, which works in tandem with a 64GB solid state drive (SSD) delivering greater power efficiency and shock resistance.
Sadly though, options for a higher capacity hard disk drive are currently not in the works. From what we understand, Lenovo will only be retaining support for SSD drive options on the X300 for now.
From what we've seen, the Lenovo X300 is set to be a premium device under Lenovo's branding, and the initial pricing starts off at S$4,412. Today, the X300 is only available via Lenovo's business partners, with an expected full retail release in the month of March.
MacBook Air comparisons cannot be avoided for a product that has been hyped up to be the "MacBook Air killer" of the PC world, and while at first glance there are plenty of features on the X300 that are superior, there are compromises. After seeing the final specifications for the X300 today, we do have some reservations, especially the lack of any standard HDD options. It will be very interesting to see how the X300 truly stacks up when we are able to get our hands on an actual unit for some hands-on action.
Envelope test aside, all we had to do was pick up the X300, or known internally by its initial code name "Kodachi", to find ourselves loving the whole form factor. However slim and lightweight the X300 may be though, it is by no means flimsy as Lenovo has been able to retain the ruggedness and solid build quality that are hallmarks of the ThinkPad series. The X300 even features Lenovo's next generation roll cage design for added durability.
Specification-wise, the X300 sports quite an impressive set of technologies. It is one of the first few notebooks to feature Intel's new Core 2 Duo SL7100 low voltage processor, which was designed to fit into this new breed of ultra-thin notebooks. This is similar to the processor Intel shrunk specifically for the MacBook Air, but not the same model. The SL7100 on the Lenovo X300 operates at 1.2GHz, while the MacBook Air features 1.6GHz to 1.8GHz processors.
The rest of the standard configuration include 1GB of DDR2 RAM (upgradable to 4GB), Intel GMA X3100 graphics, a sinfully thin 13.3-inch LED backlit TFT screen and it even manages to squeeze in an internal DVD burner. The X300 comes preloaded with either Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate or the rollback choice of Windows XP Pro.
In the local context, connectivity options for the X300 will include Bluetooth 2.0 and Intel's Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG wireless adapter. The X300 will also feature an Ethernet port as well as three USB 2.0 ports. It even boasts WiMax and HSDPA support as well, but these features are only to be found in X300's sold in the United States for now. They will not be included in models coming into the Singapore market, which we attribute to the absence of a WiMax infrastructure here.
Depending on configuration, the X300 starts off as a 1.33kg ultra-lightweight with a somewhat limited 3-cell Li-Polymer battery, and reaches 1.59kg if one were to opt for the standard-sized 6-cell Li-Ion battery. A stronger battery lifespan is heavily featured on the X300, which works in tandem with a 64GB solid state drive (SSD) delivering greater power efficiency and shock resistance.
Sadly though, options for a higher capacity hard disk drive are currently not in the works. From what we understand, Lenovo will only be retaining support for SSD drive options on the X300 for now.
From what we've seen, the Lenovo X300 is set to be a premium device under Lenovo's branding, and the initial pricing starts off at S$4,412. Today, the X300 is only available via Lenovo's business partners, with an expected full retail release in the month of March.
MacBook Air comparisons cannot be avoided for a product that has been hyped up to be the "MacBook Air killer" of the PC world, and while at first glance there are plenty of features on the X300 that are superior, there are compromises. After seeing the final specifications for the X300 today, we do have some reservations, especially the lack of any standard HDD options. It will be very interesting to see how the X300 truly stacks up when we are able to get our hands on an actual unit for some hands-on action.
IT Show 2008 Preview
Every three months, tech enthusiasts get a new breath of life with the quarterly IT fairs that are arranged annually. Once more, Suntec City will be abuzz with activity, with the first IT fair of the year, the IT Show 2008. Occupying up to four levels with various vendors ready to present their very first bargains of the year, you would do well to mark down the 6th to 9th of March to satisfy your hunger for the latest products, at the best prices. To whet your appetite, here's a preview of what you can expect at this year's IT Show. Do check back often as we will update the prices and offers as and when we get new updates and clearance to release embargoed promotional details - right up to the start of the show.
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