The eagle-eyed folks over at Hexus have spotted a gigabyte GA-IBP at CeBIT. So what’s so special about this board? It’s a P55 chipset, socket LGA1156 motherboard for Intel’s upcoming Core i5 processor.
Some background. The Core i5 is a Lynnfield processor, which is itself based on the Nehalem Intel Core microarchitecture. It features an integrated memory controller supporting 2-channel DDR3, hyperthreading technology (which means that four cores translates into processing capacity for eight threads), features 8MB of Intel Smart Cache, and supports Turbo Boost technology and an integrated PCI-Express graphics controller. The socket for this chip differs from the LGA1366 used by the Core i7 (Bloomfield). So what’s the difference between the Core i5 and Core i7? Core i5 CPUs don’t make use of Intel’s QuickPath Interconnect.
So, what’s the big deal with Core i5? Simple, it’ll allow consumers access to Intel’s next generation microarchitecture at a lower price point than Core i7. What kind of price point? Well, boards should be around $150 and chips about $200. Expect these during the third quater of 2009.
P55 chipset motherboards should also have a long arc, given that they will also be able to support not only the 45nm Lynnfield Core i5s but also the 32nm Clarksdale pieces which have the integrated GPU.
Windows 7 plus some new mid-range CPUs could help reinvigorate the flagging tech sector.
(Via ZDNet)
DisplayLink--which makes technology that allows multiple monitors to be connected to one computer through USB--announced this week that it's now optimized its technology for the Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family for desktops and notebooks.
Previous systems with integrated graphics were only able to connect one additional display. Now via DisplayLink and with these new Intel-specific optimizations, users with PCs based on the Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family can easily connect to up to four monitors at once without the need to buy additional graphics cards. In addition, users who run four monitors on the Intel chipset will enjoy a 20 percent performance improvement, which includes smoother video playback, according to DisplayLink.
Users who have an Intel Series 4 chipset-based system should be on the lookout for the drivers to be implemented via Windows Update.
SAN FRANCISCO--Though a little behind schedule, it's finally here.
Despite a minor snafu that held up the launch by three weeks, Intel officially introduced its new Centrino 2 platform at a press event here Monday night.
The delay was reportedly a problem with the FCC certification for the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard used in the platform, in addition there were reports of problems with the integrated graphics feature.
More than 240 new laptops will be launched Tuesday using Intel's Centrino 2 platform.
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET News)But on launch day, Intel's Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the mobile platforms group, said the fix was a "simple procedure" and that Intel is "good to go."
As part of the introduction of Centrino 2 platform, later Monday night PC makers like Lenovo, Acer, Gateway, Fujitsu, and others will roll out their latest laptops with the updated technology.
The Centrino 2 platform comes in two flavors, one for consumers, and one with Intel's vPro technology for business customers.
This time around, Centrino 2's high-definition media capability is what Intel is trying to push. The whole platform is set up to enhance Blu-ray playback, and the company says it will help a laptop's battery last two hours, which for many films means you can see the entire HD movie without having to recharge.
There are five new processors available within the Centrino 2 family. At the event, Intel made a big show of its Core2 Extreme Mobile Processor X9100, which it says is the "highest performing mobile processor." Intel has removed overclock protection, and generally tuned it to impress gamers. To demonstrate, an Intel employee played the PC version of Assassin's Creed on a notebook with the Extreme Mobile Processor.
The new chipset is also developed with an eye toward gamers. Intel is introducing an option in which the same notebook can switch between using discrete graphics (which are battery intensive and loved by gamers) and integrated graphics (which reduces the power drain on the PC).
In all, Intel tried to demonstrate what it thinks is the most important issue for mobile PC users: balancing power efficiency and faster processing. The "secret sauce," said Intel's Eden, is a feature they are calling HUGI, which stands for "Hurry Up and Get Idle."
The company says it will enable the new 2.8GHz processor to consume 60 percent less electricity than its 2.33GHz processor on a single task, and it will get that task done 30 second faster.
Also in Centrino 2, 802.11n Wi-Fi will be standard. Intel says to expect five times faster wireless connections, and twice the range, but to get ready for WiMax coming this fall. Though not available immediately, future versions of Centrino 2 will come with built-in WiMax capability.
Intel has launched a Web site to help game and visual content developers create software for its graphics silicon and processors. Intel's next-generation Larrabee graphics chip is also slated to become part of the focus.
"Supporting the new Intel 4 Series chipset family introduced at Computex, Intel has launched the Intel Visual Computing Developer Community, a technical resource to enable developers...to create innovative graphics and video applications," Intel said in a statement.
The Intel 4 Series includes the G45 Express chipset and GMA X4500HD graphics media accelerator, which has built-in support for Blu-ray 1080p high-definition video playback. The chipset also supports Microsoft DirectX 10 and game-centric graphics technologies such as Shader Model 4.0.
Intel says these improvements deliver "everyday gameplay for the most popular game titles."
Intel Visual Developer Community Web site
(Credit: Intel)Intel is clearly ratcheting up its presence in the gaming and visual computing segments. In a video posted on the site, Roger Chandler, director of marketing for the Visual Computing Software Division, said that though Intel works with developers in the digital content creation space, "We're really focused on the game industry...The big focus we have right now is the game space."
Chandler's team is focused on processors, integrated graphics products, and mobile platforms.
"We're entering this era where folks have been so focused on making games look real, (but) they're now realizing that we need to make them act real," he said. Chandler cited artificial intelligence and game physics as two pillars of this "act real" strategy.
The video also indicated that the upcoming Larrabee graphics platform looms large. "This effort is supporting a platform we don't talk about all that much--Larrabee," said Paul Steinberg of Intel, who participated in the video. Intel has described Larrabee as a "many core" Intel Architecture graphics chip that is expected to debut in the second half of 2009.
The site also contains white papers on high definition audio and video, discussion forums, blogs, and wikis, Intel said.
Intel will delay the introduction of its highly anticipated "Montevina" Centrino 2 mobile chips due to technical and certification problems, the chipmaker said Tuesday.
The initial rollout won't take place until July 14. The next phase will take place in August.
Intel had recently been saying that the Centrino 2 mobile platform would launch after Computex, toward the end of June. Centrino 2 features upgraded integrated graphics, high-speed WiMax wireless silicon, and native support for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), among other features.
"Initially what will be available on July 14 are the (Centrino 2) processors and some of the chipsets," Intel spokesperson Connie Brown said. These processors include the "T" and "X" (Extreme) series. Other Centrino 2 silicon will come later.
The two principal problems concern, one, the certification (on the Centrino 2 platform) of the Wi-Fi wireless standard and, two, technical issues with the Centrino 2 chipset.
Wi-Fi is "not a technical issue. It's paperwork," Brown said. "There were mistakes made while filing and testing our wireless antennas." The paperwork involves both the FCC and other government organizations like Canada's IC, she said.
The second problem is centered on technical issues with the Centrino 2 "Cantiga" chipset and the Intel graphics that is integrated into the chipset. In short, Intel will not release a chipset initially with Intel integrated graphics.
Instead, on July 14, Intel will offer a "PM" version for discrete (stand-alone) graphics chips only, Brown said. The July 14 version of the chipset can be used with discrete graphics chips from Nvidia and AMD-ATI, for example, but will not have Intel integrated graphics.
The "GM" version that includes the Intel integrated graphics will not be available until early August. "It will be ramping by August 5," Brown said. The two initial versions of the chipset with Intel integrated graphics are the GM45 and GM47. Intel will also make available its updated Wi-Fi technology called "Shirley Peak" in August, she said.
Brown said the chipsets must be "re-screened." This means basically that some chipsets need to be rechecked to see if they have "an issue," she said. Intel is not specifying, however, what the issue is.
WiMax silicon is also slated to come out later, though Intel is not saying when exactly. The Intel module that combines Wi-Fi and WiMax is called Echo Peak.
The delay of Centrino 2 also gives rise to a broader competitive issue: Advanced Micro Devices is set to announce its new "Puma" mobile platform in the near future that will feature both improved discrete and integrated graphics. For example, AMD's 780M-based integrated graphics is expected to be very competitive with Intel's integrated graphics.
Note: Intel Centrino 2 processors expected on July 14 include the T9600, P8600, and P8400, running at 2.8GHz, 2.4GHz, and 2.26GHz respectively. A high-end upgrade to the current Core 2 Extreme X9000, the X9100, is also expected. The X9100 is expected to run at 3.06GHz with a 44W thermal envelope. Pricing will range from $209 for the P8400 to $530 for the T9600 to $851 for the X9100.
Intel said its employees are safe and the chipmaker has resumed operations at its assembly test facility in Chengdu while it analyzes inventory.
The facility handles CPUs (central processing units) and chipsets.
"Intel is currently analyzing its current inventory, work in process, and other factors to ensure that the company can best serve its customers," according to Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy, responding to an e-mail query.
A report had cited three Intel chipsets, the G31, G33, and 945GC, as being affected and subject to price increases. Mulloy said prices have not been raised by Intel.
Chengdu is 55 miles from the epicenter of the devastating earthquake in China.
"Our employees are safe, but we are working to provide support for them and the community during this very trying and tragic time," Mulloy said.
"We have determined that inventory on-site in Chengdu was not damaged and production is being shipped to customers," he said.
"The seismic assessment of the facility is nearly complete and to date we have no major structural issues," Mulloy said. "Intel has resumed manufacturing operations."
Intel's long-awaited DirectX-10 graphics update for its chipsets is available.
DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling multimedia tasks in Microsoft-based environments, especially those tasks related to games and video. DirectX-10 support was mentioned by Intel as far back as 2006 when its popular 965 chipset was introduced.
(Credit:
Microsoft)
The new Windows Vista driver enables DirectX10 functionality for Intel GM965 and G35 Express chipset based platforms. The GM965 uses the X3100 Intel graphics engine, while the G35 uses the X3500.
The update is available here.
"We have been able to add features to products using these chipsets via driver updates. DX10 is the latest capability we have been able to add," an Intel representative said.
Asus is now selling a motherboard that the computer maker is billing as the "world's first to provide an Intel platform with an onboard integrated VGA solution that features built-in support for Windows Vista DirectX 10."
Intel has also announced a G35-based DG35EC Classic motherboard. The DG35EC board is based on GMA X3500 integrated graphics and includes HD video playback for movie clips and media streams without the need for an add-in video card and is the first to have integrated Microsoft DirectX10 capability with OpenGL 2.0 support, according to this report.
But don't expect top-flight gaming performance with integrated graphics--even with the new DirectX-10 driver. Typically, the frame rates in games using integrated graphics pale against the frame rates allowed by discrete graphics chips from Nvidia and AMD-ATI. More information here.
Today AMD announced the M690 chipset, a mobile version of the 690 chipset announced a month ago. Like its desktop counterpart, the M690 seems aimed at the entertainment sector: both the high-end M690T and the budget M690V offer DVI video output, with the M690T adding support for HDMI output so you can connect your laptop to an HDTV. The M690 also is AMD's first mobile platform to support ATI Avivo technology, which the company claims enhances high-definition video playback. Both the M690T and M690V incorporate ATI Radeon X1200 series graphics and Turion 64 X2 series processors; you can find all of the technical specs on AMD's Web site.
Like every new laptop component, the M690 chipset reportedly results in longer battery life; in this case, AMD claims it will extend battery life by up to 30 minutes. We look forward to testing those claims in systems from Asus, HP, and Fujitsu, who will be the first adopters of the new chipset.
If you'd like to learn more about AMD's future release plans, see our CPU Roadmap feature.
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