Archive : PC & LAPTOP
NVIDIA unveils Tesla GPU based on the promising Kepler architecture
During the opening day, keynote presentation, NVIDIA’s Jen-Hsun Huang showcased two GPU based on the Kepler architecture. This upcoming line of graphic processors will be sold under the moniker of Tesla, with the Tesla K20 releasing in the fourth quarter of 2012. NVIDIA also showed of the Tesla K10 GPU, which houses two GK104 Kepler GPUs to deliver 4.58 teraflops of peak single-precision floating point and 320 GB per second memory bandwidth. The K10’s however, are designed specifically for oil and gas exploration companies for signal, image and seismic processing applications. Huang also announced that NVIDIA has released CUDA 5 Parallel Programming platform to members of NVIDIA's GPU Computing Registered Developer program to start exploring the Kepler architecture.
AMD unveil its response to Intel's Ivy Bridge
AMD's successor to the incumbent Llano architecture will be called Trinity, and we should expect to see stateside release of a laptop by Hewlett Packard called Envy Sleekbook, by as early as June.
Intel developing 14nm smartphone chips for 2014
Xbit managed to snag and post a couple of slides from an Intel presentation used by the CEO to discuss research and development of chip fabrication technology. The company’s mobile chip line-up will be split into a low-cost line headed by Atom 22000 carrying and XMM 5255 radio, and the high-performance Atom 22580 that will sport a XMM 7160 radio.
Download of the Week: Partition Assistant
Partition Assistant from Aomei Technology is a disk management and partition management utility for those who need more than what is available with Windows Disk Management. The Home Edition of Partition Assistant can be freely downloaded for both personal and commercial use. The application works with 32-bit and 64-bit version of Windows 2000, Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, and supports SSD, external drives and of course internal hard disks.
HP unveil the Spectre XT Ultrabook
Hewlett Packard has expanded its line of Ultrabooks to accommodate the Spectre XT, which will carry the latest generation of processors from Intel. The specs of Spectre XT are otherwise largely similar to that of its predecessors, with the exception of a few minor tweaks. The Spectre XT has a slightly smaller screen at 13 inches, and the battery-life is down by a notch to 8 hours; however, this model has managed to shed nearly half a kilogram of weight.
Round-up of HTPC Cabinets
Home theatre personal computers (HTPC) or media centers, as they are sometimes referred to, is nowhere as common as desktop and laptop computers, but this category has been gaining some ground for some time now. For those who prefer custom assembling an HTPC with choice of configuration, their first stop would be at a HTPC cabinet vendor. Here we take a look at some of the models that are readily available in the Indian market, from vendors such as Antec, Cooler Master, and Silverstone.
Dell shipping XPS and Vostro desktops with third-gen Intel processors
Having updated their Alienware M-x series of laptops with Z77 chipset and matching processors, Dell has now rolled out the desktop upgrades. Since Intel is presently shipping only the quad-core variety of third-generation processors, Dell has included the Ivy Bridge option only in their XPS and Vostro lines of desktops.
Cooler Master's high-end CPU cooler
Cooler Master has unveiled a CPU cooler, which the company claims is a culmination of their best technologies, and it can rival liquid cooling system. Called TPC 812, this CPU cooler uses Cooler Master’s Vertical Vapour Chamber technology that uses vaporized coolants to expedite transfer of heat from the CPU block to the fins.
Dual-band router from ASUS with sharing over 3G
It is often hard to get excited about a router, but there is little argument about its importance as it takes center stage in a wireless network. Up against veterans like Linksys and D-Link, ASUS still has to prove itself, but at least they seem to be getting things right on paper. ASUS’s new flagship router released under the Black Diamond series is a dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) switch 900Mbps cap on bandwidth. This router also supports sharing over a localized 3G network, using a separate 3G dongle, which should prove useful if you have non-Wi-Fi handsets lying about.
Alienware M-x series laptops get Ivy Bridge
PC vendors are gradually making the move towards Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture, and Dell is the latest one to do so. Dell’s gaming-grade rigs available under Alienware brand are one of the first to get this upgrade, in particular the M-x series laptops. Alienware M14x, M17x, and M18x gaming laptops are now available with Ivy Bridge option.
Cooler Master Elite 100
Cooler Master Elite 100rnrnApproximate price: Rs. 3,000rnWeight: 3 kgrnMotherboards: Micro ATX / Mini ITXrnMaterial: Steel Body, plastic bezelrnI/O Panel: USB 2.0 x 2, SPK x 1, Audio x 1rnPower supply: 150W
NVIDIA introduces the dual-GPU GeForce GTX 690
NVIDIA recently unveiled the fastest consumer-grade graphics card that it has ever produced, called GTX 690. This graphic card has two, Kepler architecture-based, GeForce GPUs and a total of 3,072 CUDA cores. NVIDIA claims that this lets the GTX 690 dish-out frames at near double the rate of a single GTX 680, and also makes it more quieter and power efficient than dual-GTX 680 in SLI configuration. This is not to say that NVIDIA is going to do way with SLI anytime soon, as two GTX 690s can be used in Quad-SLI mode, just to see what happens.
ASUS release Sabertooth mobo with Z77 chipset
ASUS has begun shipping a motherboard with Z77 chipset in the Sabertooth class of boards, which are instantly recognizable due to the ‘Thermal Armor’ that spans across and protects most of the surface area. This particular model combines a host of features that increase the longevity of the motherboard by keeping it cool, away from dust, and controlling power to the components.
15 Essential Freeware Apps for your PC
When it comes to apps, the best price is free. Here's a roundup of some notable freeware and open source apps for your PC and laptop, featured previously on Technoholik.
Download of the Week: Ubuntu 12.04
Version 12.04 is a significant release of Ubuntu as it will replace 10.04 as the LTS for at least the next 5 years on the desktop. Ubuntu 12.04 carries with it significant improvements to its Unity desktop management system, which has been a peeve of many Ubuntu users. Due to improvement in its code and that of Compiz, the new version of Unity promises better power management and system performance which should be more apparent for laptop and netbook users.















