Nov 02

Maingear unveils Core i7-packin’ SHIFT, your own ‘personal supercomputer’

Posted in: ati, blu-ray, CoreI7, desktop, gaming, NVIDIA, PC, radeon, razer, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

We’ll be straight with ya — we’re betting these “personal supercomputer” claims are just a bit out of line with reality, but even still, there’s no denying that Maingear has shoved an insane amount of horsepower beneath the (admittedly large) hood of its newest rig. The beastly SHIFT does away with copious LED lighting and blinging accents found on many modern gaming PCs and instead opts for a classier, more ominous tower. Within, you’ll find a vertical airflow system, a Core i7 processor, your choice of ATI or NVIDIA graphics, 8GB (and up) of DDR3-1600 RAM, up to 6 HDDs or 12 SSDs, DVD and Blu-ray options, an Asetek liquid-cooling solution, Razer peripherals, an optional Killer NIC Xeno Pro and Windows 7 running the show. The Intel P55 rig gets going at $2,199, while the X58 model starts $400 higher; for those in creative design fields, Maingear’s expected to unveil a SHIFT just for you in the near future. Head on past the break for the full release.

Gallery: Maingear unveils Core i7-packin’ SHIFT, your own ‘personal supercomputer’

Continue reading Maingear unveils Core i7-packin’ SHIFT, your own ‘personal supercomputer’

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Maingear unveils Core i7-packin’ SHIFT, your own ‘personal supercomputer’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 20

iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model

Posted in: Apple, breaking news, BreakingNews, CoreI5, CoreI7, imac, intel, Mac, os x, OsX, refresh, Today's Chili, update

After months of speculation, Apple has unveiled some completely new iMacs, featuring 21.5-inch and 27-inch 16:9 displays and all-aluminum enclosures. The new widescreen IPS panels are LED-backlit and have 178-degree viewing angles — the 21.5-inch iMac has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, while the 27-incher comes in at a staggering 2,560 x 1,440. Ports are the same as the outgoing model with the addition of an SD card slot and video-in on the 27-inch (via a special cable), and the wireless keyboard is now standard (as is the all-new Magic Mouse). Pricing tiers haven’t changed much: there’s a low-end $1,199 21.5-inch model with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB drive, a $1,499 model that bumps things up to 1TB of storage and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics, while the base 27-inch config starts at $1,699 with the same bumped specs. All of those can be custom-configured with up to a 3.33GHz Core 2 Duo, but it’s the top-end $1,999 27-inch model that’ll bring the real heat when it ships in November; it’s packing a 2.06GHz quad-core Core i5 processor (with a 2.8GHz Core i7 available for $200 more) and Radeon HD 4850 graphics. Not a bad little refresh — but it looks like all you Blu-ray fans are going home alone again. Check the full specs list after the break.

Gallery: iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model

Continue reading iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model

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iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 03

MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be ‘world’s most powerful gaming notebook’

Posted in: CoreI7, gaming, laptop, msi, NVIDIA, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

Man, Core i7 laptops just keep coming and coming (kinda like Arnold). The latest in what’s sure to be a torrent of companies upgrading their premier products to Intel’s finest quad-core battery killer is MSI, with the GT640. Though MSI hasn’t yet specified which of the trifecta of Clarksfield chips it has inside the machine, we do know there’s a 1GB NVIDIA Geforce GTS 250 taking care of graphics, as well as options for up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, half a terabyte of storage and a Blu-ray burner. Other notables include a two megapixel webcam, HDMI, 7.1 channel audio output and an eSATA input. While we don’t yet know the wallet damage for that red-striped aluminum alloy body, its Windows 7 installation would indicate a release some time around, oh, October 22 perhaps? One more shot of the keyboard and screen after the break.

[Via Laptoping]

Update: The German announcement for this machine has been more forthcoming with the details. There’s a 1680 x 1050 resolution, 4,800mAh battery and a two-year warranty among the things we didn’t know about before, and the most important thing, the CPU model, is now revealed as a 1.6GHz Core i7 720QM. [Thanks, Johannes]

Continue reading MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be ‘world’s most powerful gaming notebook’

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MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be ‘world’s most powerful gaming notebook’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 01

ASUS intros first ‘Marine Cool’ motherboard, the SABERTOOTH 55i

Posted in: ASUS, CoreI5, CoreI7, intel, Today's Chili

ASUS is good for canning concepts just before they’ve had a chance to truly thrive, but thankfully the company has made an obvious effort to bring its “Marine Cool” mainboard to life. After peeking said device at CeBIT earlier this year, the SABERTOOTH 55i has become the first actual, working product to be based around the technology. The newly-developed TUF series is designed to handle “extreme conditions,” and while ASUS claims that it’ll survive “military-style testing,” we wouldn’t recommend submerging it under liquid or blasting it with a railgun. For those looking to piece together a new Core i5 / Core i7 rig, feel free to give the read link a look for all the details, but don’t bother searching high and low for a price or release date.

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ASUS intros first ‘Marine Cool’ motherboard, the SABERTOOTH 55i originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 30

HP dv8 specs page goes live, confirms Core i7 processor

Posted in: CoreI7, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, Today's Chili

We’ve already seen plenty of leaked info about HP’s upcoming Core i7-based dv8, but nothing beats an official specs page on a company’s own server for proof, does it? Looks like this 18.4-inch monster will pack a 1.6GHz Core i7 processor (we’re guessing that’s the baseline speed, as Intel’s Turbo tech will boost the max speed of a single core far higher), 4GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT230 graphics, and a LightScribe Blu-ray burner. Oh, and it’ll weigh nearly nine pounds — but that’s a small price to pay, right?

[Thanks, Alexi]

Continue reading HP dv8 specs page goes live, confirms Core i7 processor

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HP dv8 specs page goes live, confirms Core i7 processor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 25

ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops

Posted in: ASUS, CoreI7, gaming, laptop, Today's Chili

Not sure if you got the memo, but Intel introduced a few new processors this week at IDF. In fact, they were chips designed to work in laptops! While Dell and Alienware were quick to issue new rigs based around the mobile iteration of the Core i7, a few others are slowly trickling out. ASUS has just introduced its M60J, a 16-incher that can be outfitted with a 1.6GHz Core i7 720QM or 1.73GHz Core i7 820QM. Other specs include a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT240M GPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, upwards of 1TB of HDD space, an optional Blu-ray drive and a lackluster 1,366 x 768 resolution. Sager’s also jumping in on the action by pushing out a 15.6-inch NP8690 that offers the same shiny CPUs, a 1GB GeForce GTX 280M GPU, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB HDD and a 1080p display. As for pricing? Mum’s the word on the former, though the 7.6-pound Sager gets going at just under $1,800.

Read – ASUS M60J
Read – Sager NP8690

Continue reading ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops

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ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 24

$4,000 Alienware Aurora ALX benchmarked: domination this world has never seen

Posted in: ati, CoreI7, desktop, gaming, PC, radeon, Today's Chili

Alienware’s Aurora ALX, which was just unveiled this week alongside ATI’s blisteringly fast Radeon HD 5870 GPU, gets going at $2,299. If that doesn’t bother you, the late-October estimated ship date might. Somehow, the benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware were able to grab hold of one of these rigs, and the results are fairly stunning (if not expected). Granted, their test configuration was a fully loaded $4,074 model, complete with a 3.33GHz Core i7 Extreme Edition 975 CPU, twin ATI Radeon HD 5870’s in a CrossFire configuration and 6GB of DDR3 memory. Oh, and blue lights. Lots of blue lights. Put simply, the one-two CPU / GPU punch produced results that led to domination that made pretty much anything else out there look weak. Don’t believe us? Hit that link for the bar-charted proof.

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$4,000 Alienware Aurora ALX benchmarked: domination this world has never seen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Quad-core Core i7 720QM slips into Dell Studio 15 / 17 and Studio XPS 16

Posted in: ati, CoreI7, Today's Chili

Ready for some fireworks? Good. Intel’s just-announced Clarksfield processor — which was accurately rumored for a September launch way back in July — is landing in Dell’s lineup in a big way. The refreshed Studio 15 and Studio 17 will both be sold with an available Core i7 720QM or Core i7 820QM, as will the gamer-centric Studio XPS 16. As a reminder, the former checks in at 1.6GHz with a 1,333MHz FSB and 6MB of L3 cache, while the latter hums along at 1.73GHz. The Studio 17 is also seeing a few non-CPU related updates, with a JBL-sourced 2.1 audio system, optional 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 and support for dual HDDs. Outside of that, most everything else on these rigs is just as it was yesterday, though consumers interested in snagging one with a shiny new chip should take note of the price points. The Core i7’d Studio 15 gets going at $999, while the 17.3-inch sibling starts at $1,099 and the Studio XPS 16 (available today, or so says Dell) at $1,249.

Read – Dell Studio 15
Read – Dell Studio 17
Read – Dell Studio XPS 16

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Quad-core Core i7 720QM slips into Dell Studio 15 / 17 and Studio XPS 16 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Intel announces quad-core Core i7 Extreme and Core i7 for laptops (update: now with reviews!)

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, CoreI7, intel, Today's Chili

As expected, Intel just announced its Clarksfield laptop chips, bringing Core i7 to the laptop form factor. There’ll be three chips, two regular quad-cores and a Core i7 Extreme that can run as fast as 3.2GHz in Turbo mode, which selectively shuts off cores and uses the extra power to speed up the remaining cores while preserving battery life. The parts were demoed working in shipping-ready form on stage, but pricing and availability weren’t mentioned — we’ll let you know what we can dig up.

Read – Intel’s Core i7 Mobile press release
Read – HotHardware’s Core i7 Mobile review
Read – LegitReviews’ Core i7 Mobile review
Read – Laptop Mag’s Core i7 Mobile laptop review

Continue reading Intel announces quad-core Core i7 Extreme and Core i7 for laptops (update: now with reviews!)

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Intel announces quad-core Core i7 Extreme and Core i7 for laptops (update: now with reviews!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops

Posted in: CoreI7, gaming, laptop, PC, Today's Chili

It’s a wild day in the land of Dell, so it makes sense that said meshugaas is carrying over to the company’s Alienware portfolio. We knew that five new rigs were slated to launch today, and now we’ve finally got the details you’ve been craving (in official fashion, no less). Up first is the revamped Area-51 M15x laptop, which boasts a streamlined chassis and the entirely overused “most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe” tagline. Those with deep pockets can get this pup outfitted with a 2.0GHz Core i7 920XM (yes, that’s the new Clarksfield mobile Core i7!) and a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M, both of which should work wonders on your most demanding NES ROMs. You’ll also find up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB HDD or 256GB SSD, slot-loading Blu-ray drive, FireWire, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, VGA and DisplayPort video outputs, an ExpressCard slot and an 8-in-1 card reader. There’s no mention of a starting price, but before you even look, you should decide whether or not you’re kosher with toting around a 1.92-inch thick machine weighing 9 pounds.

Moving on, there’s the all-new Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops, both of which usher in yet another case change along with ridiculously fast / pricey innards. The standard Area-51 is a liquid cooled beast with factory overclocked Core i7 CPUs (as high as 3.6GHz), an array of multi-GPU options from ATI and NVIDIA, internal lighting effects and a handy door to quickly access the HDD compartment. All of the hard drives are loaded via a cable-free dock, and there’s enough room for six SATA II HDDs. The rig also holds up to 12GB of 1,333MHz DDR3 memory, twin Blu-ray drives and a pair of gigabit Ethernet jacks. The ALX edition, on the other hand, is the “most powerful desktop” the company has ever created, as it packs an optional 3.86GHz Core i7 975, twin 1.8GB GeForce GTX 295 GPUs and a power supply large enough to trip most household breakers.

Closing things out is the Aurora and Aurora ALX, the latter of which is the most potent microATX rig Alienware has ever called its own. The liquid cooled ALX can be equipped with a 3.6GHz Core i7 975, dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 GPUs and up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, while the slightly more affordable Aurora — which goes down as the smallest mid-sized desktop ever crafted by the outfit — can be upgraded nearly as much itself. Pricing on these rigs still remains open, but we’ve a feeling that’ll be cleared up just as soon as the new product pages go live.

Gallery: Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops

Show full PR text

DELL FEEDS GAMERS’ PASSIONS WITH FIVE NEW ‘ALL POWERFUL’ ALIENWARE GAMING RIGS

  • All-New Alienware Gaming Systems Include the M15x Laptop and Aurora and Area-51 Desktops
  • Alienware M15x Features the New Intel(R) Mobile Core[TM] i7 Processor
  • Alienware M17x Laptop Receives Up To 145 Percent Graphics Performance Boost with Addition of Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility[TM] HD 4870
  • Alienware Peripherals, Including the New Alienware TactX Keyboard and Mouse, Offer Gamers a Fully-Integrated PC Gaming Ecosystem

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Sept. 23, 2009 – PC Gamers now have five new ways to level up with a fleet of high-performance gaming rigs from Alienware, including four overclocked* liquid-cooled desktop systems and the most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe.

Jointly developed by the Dell and Alienware teams, and featuring the latest technologies for maximum performance, aggressive designs and unmatched customization and personalization through Alienware’s exclusive Command Center software suite, these systems represent a new era in PC gaming.

The All powerful Alienware Aurora, Aurora ALX, Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops and the Alienware M15x laptop join the M17x, launched in June, to expand the Alienware arsenal and reaffirm Dell’s position as visionary and designer of the industry’s most coveted gaming systems.

The News:

  • Alienware M15x – The most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe. Sporting Alienware’s acclaimed new mobile ID which debuted with the M17x laptop, the M15x offers Alienware performance in a compact package guaranteed to appeal to mobile enthusiasts and hardcore gamers on the go. The first Alienware laptop to feature a mobile Core i7 processor, the M15x also offers a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M GPU* and up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz memory* to take on, and dominate, even the most intense game titles. Prices start at $1,499 and additional technical specifications are here.
  • Alienware Aurora and Aurora ALX – The Aurora is most upgradeable and the Aurora ALX is the most powerful MicroATX desktops Alienware has ever created. Featuring the latest Intel(R) Core[TM] i7 processors, including an optional Extreme Edition overclocked** to 3.6GHz, the Aurora line of desktops are designed to deliver the power needed for hardcore gaming, pro-level HD audio and video editing, 3D animation and more. To crank up your gaming performance, Aurora and Aurora ALX have options for dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards, up to 24GB DDR3 1333MHz memory[asterisk] or 12GB DDR3 1600MHz memory, respectively, and up to 2TB of hard drive storage – all in a compact, MicroATX chassis for taking up less desk space. Prices start at $1,299 and additional technical specs are here.
  • Alienware Area-51 and Area-51 ALX designed for extreme gamers and tech enthusiasts who demand only the latest, most advanced equipment, the Area-51 line of desktops features Intel Core i7 processors factory overclocked* to an intense 3.86GHz for peak performance. To max out your graphics benchmarks, these systems offer the quad-GPU power of dual NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 295 graphics cards. Other featured specs include up to 12GB DDR3* memory clocked at 1333MHz or 1600MHz, respectively, and six easy-access, cable-free hard drive bays that support both 7,200RPM and 10,000RPM drives, solid state drives and RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 configurations. Prices begin at $1,999.

The ALX brand denotes a distinguished class of Alienware systems that deliver both unique designs and peak performance. Both Aurora ALX and Area-51 ALX offer technology options beyond their respective standard editions, allowing for higher benchmarks, extended future-proofing and all-around increased bragging rights. Aurora ALX features design elements not available on Aurora such as the Active Venting louver system, internal theater lighting and cable-free hard drive bays. Area-51 ALX ups the ante with an anodized aluminum body and motorized front panel. All Alienware desktops also offer CPU liquid cooling right out of the box which allows the ease of overclocking that deliver extreme computing.

Also announced today, Alienware customers can now configure the M17x laptop with the intense power of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 in both single and ATI CrossFireX configurations for up to a 145 percent graphics performance increase1. The result is an immersive, cinematic experience when playing the latest HD games and movies.

Alienware users can build out a complete, high-performance gaming ecosystem with the recently announced Alienware TactX Mouse and Keyboard, and the Alienware OptX[TM] AW2210 Monitor which features a 21.5-inch full HD screen for experiencing the latest generation games and HD movies in glorious 1080p resolution.

The Aurora and Aurora ALX start at $1,299, and are available for order immediately at www.alienware.com
The Area 51 and Area 51 ALX start at $1,999, and will be available to order in the coming weeks.
The Alienware M15x starts at $1,499 and is available for order immediately at www.alienware.com
The branded peripherals can be ordered immediately at: www.alienware.com

Alienware is one of two brand pillars within Dell’s broader consumer portfolio. Dell’s Alienware gaming brand delivers high-performance computing for enthusiasts and tech lovers alike, and complements the Adamo by Dell brand, which offers unmatched style, design and craftsmanship. Alienware and Adamo are the standard-bearers of Dell’s personalization efforts, which extend to the entire consumer portfolio, including Inspiron and Studio and Dell Design Studio, which reinvents the way people can customize their laptops as extensions of self-expression.

Quotes:

“These newest additions to the Alienware lineup represent the culmination of months of hard work, bringing together two world-class teams to create a family of world-class products targeting PC gamers,” said Arthur Lewis, general manager of Dell’s Gaming Group. “Our current offering of desktops, notebooks and peripheral products signals our commitment to providing the best PC gaming experience possible and to being the global industry leader for PC gaming products.”

“Alienware systems are, and always have been, our benchmark for PC gaming performance,” said Michael Tatelman, vice president of sales and marketing for Dell’s consumer business. “Through the Alienware brand, Dell is committed to offering gamers the richest possible PC gaming experience with the latest technology and coolest designs.”

“The new Intel(R) Core[TM] i7 mobile processor redefines expectations for performance, flexibility and extreme gaming on mobile platforms,” said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group at Intel. “We are pleased that Alienware has designed the Intel(R) Core[TM] i7 920Xm processor into their latest mobile gaming laptop.”

“As the first-ever DirectX(R) 11-capable graphics card, the ATI Radeon[TM] HD 5870 is the pinnacle of PC graphics performance,” said Matt Skynner, Vice President & General Manager, GPU Division, AMD. “By pairing the awesome power of this card with Alienware’s reputation for industry-leading technology, gamers can expect an unmatched gaming experience.”

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Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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