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First they leaked, then they became official, and now they’re at HP’s online store waiting for your name, address and credit card information. The new Pavilion dv6 and dv7 laptops borrow liberally from the higher-end Envy line’s aesthetics — not that we’re complaining — and offer quad-core Core i7 CPUs that max out at 3.4GHz on the i7-2820QM when cranked up using Turbo Boost. The default running speed for that model is 2.3GHz and it has a pair of slightly slower brethren, ticking along at 2.2GHz (i7-2720QM) and 2GHz flat (i7-2630QM), all of which you can own on the dv6t or dv7t. Both machines come with AMD’s 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 6570 graphics chip, while the larger dv7t also brings a two-year warranty as standard. Its 1600 x 900 resolution on a 17.3-inch screen might disappoint those looking for mad pixel density, though few would be able to complain about its price. The dv6t and dv7t start off at $1,000 and $1,100, respectively, and are subject to a $150 instant rebate and free memory (6GB) and hard drive (750GB) upgrades that should make them very appealing value propositions.
HP’s Quad Edition dv6t and dv7t laptops now available, Radeon HD graphics and Core i7 CPUs in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Come on, you knew this was coming! Oh yes, Apple’s pulling the curtain off its new MacBook Pro family, and compared to the last refresh cycle, there are a serious amount of updates. Just as we had heard, all three will be getting new Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000M graphics (bye bye, NVIDIA!), FaceTime HD cameras, and some super fast Thunderbolt I/O transfer speeds. There are two new 13-inchers, two 15.4-inch versions, and one lone 17-inch model. How much will they cost you and what are the exact specs? You’ll want to hit the jump for all of that and the official press release.
Gallery: Apple MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt
Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Back in December, CNET let loose a rumor claiming that Apple would be ditching NVIDIA in favor of Intel and AMD graphics in its future MacBook lineup. Now, here we are with a credible leak showing an entry level 13.3-inch MacBook Pro sporting a Thunderbolt port, Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor, and Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with the laptop’s main memory. Today CNET is repeating its original claim while adding that the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models will feature an automatically switchable AMD discrete GPU that augments the Intel graphics whenever more power is required. Of course, they’ll also feature that new Thunderbolt port and 32-nanometer Core i series Sandy Bridge processors for improved performance and power savings. We’ll see soon enough, since the whole thing is supposed to get official later today.
Apple switching to AMD graphics in 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We know, last week we told you that Lenovo’s ThinkPad X120e wasn’t going to be available until March 8th, but we guess you could call us liars, since the new AMD Zacate-powered, 11.6-inch laptop is up for sale right now on Lenovo’s site. The base model with a 1.5GHz E-240 processor and three-cell battery starts at $399, but if you’re looking to go up to the 1.6GHz E-350 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a six-cell battery — the configuration of our review unit — it’ll set you back $569. According to the system configurator most systems will ship within eight business days. You’ve had a few weeks to decide at this point… so, are you going to get one or what?
Scratch that, the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e is on sale now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AMD has plans that may not sit well with shareholders. The company is telling people not to expect a smartphone chip. However, AMD did admit that a chip for tablets will be coming out shortly.
Unlike Intel and smaller chip makers who are joining the ever-growing smartphone demand, AMD appears to have no interest in them.
I wonder why AMD does not want to join the popular demand? However, it does take a lot for the company to issue a statement that is against the grain. Though, in the long run I wouldn’t be surprised if the company eventually changes its mind.
Via X Bit Lab
Excuse us for a moment while we ponder Sony’s product naming scheme. The company’s VAIO S thin-and-light laptop range got upgraded specs at CES this January, which also happened to be the place and time that we first laid eyes on a set of “prototype” machines that seemed to target the same market segment. Lo and behold, after making some cameos at European online listings, the newly redesigned Sony 13-inchers are here, only they’re still called… the VAIO S Series. For the trouble of figuring out which is which, you’ll be rewarded with a 3.9-pound mobile computer with a 1366 x 768 screen, a 500GB hard drive, 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM, 802.11n WiFi, optional VAIO “everywair” 3G, a Radeon HD 6470M GPU with up to 1GB of dedicated memory, and what will presumably be a selection of Core i5 CPUs from Intel (at present we’re only seeing the i5-2410M listed). Windows 7 is the inevitable OS on board, though Sony’s enhanced it with a Fast Boot sequence that’s said to halve the usual bootup time. Launch is scheduled for the end of March and you’ll find a full spec sheet and release after the break.
Sony VAIO S Series get an updated design, Core i5-2410M CPU and Radeon HD 6470M graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
While AMD’s Zacate E-350 APU has managed to find its way into a number of laptops, it’s not exactly simple to find a desktop based on Fusion right now. Thankfully, Zotac was champing at the bit to be one of the first, and its Zbox AD03 / AD03 Plus has just hit the test bench over at Hot Hardware. All told, the results were fairly predictable, with the Fusion APU running laps around the prior Atom-based version. Of course, “laps” is a relative term, and while it hasn’t single-handedly redefined the SFF PC sector, it has provided a real alternative to Intel’s stable of underwhelming nettop chips. Across the board, the Zacate E-350 managed to hold its own, with the only real issue being “lackluster Flash video acceleration.” We’re told that updated drivers are expected to remedy that, however, so there’s really little to gripe about from a numbers standpoint. As for value proposition? The AD03 Plus (ringing up at $529.99) seems like a worse deal with its skimpy 2GB of RAM and (comparatively sluggish) 250GB HDD, while the barebones AD03 (which lists for $439.99) could be turned into quite the powerhouse with 4GB of memory and a speedy SSD. Head on down to the source link to get your nerd on, but only if you’re interested in scratching that DIY itch that’s been so bothersome of late.
Zotac’s Fusion-based Zbox AD03 Blu-ray HTPC gets reviewed, smiled upon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Rumors are afloat about a Dell buyout for AMD, , but AMD is still making its own news. The company is ready to launch three new GPUs. AMD is shipping the new AMD Radeon HD 6450, 6570, and, 6670 GPUs to PC manufactures. They’ll also be sold online and in retail stores. HP, Dell, and other manufactures are ordering the new GPUs for the upcoming PC models.
All three support DirectX 11 and multiple-display, run faster, and have a cooling system attached. Besides that, the GPUs will be pretty much the same as the previous ones AMD has put out before. AMD has not released the price of the new GPUs.
Via Hot Hardware
Oh AMD, is no corporate-mandated, decidedly commercialist holiday sacred to you? While we were all snuggling with our snookums and/or cooing to our cohorts the marketing team at Advanced Micro Devices was shipping out something a little bit nasty — and not in the “go get the fuzzy handcuffs” kind of nasty. The company sent out a mug of chocolates that, on the front, says “I ♥ APU,” referencing the Fusion platform that’s recently powered the HP Pavilion dm1z and Lenovo Thinkpad x120e to solid reviews. Sadly, that wasn’t enough, as the note started like this:
I heard that Sandy B. broke your heart and wanted to let you know that I’m here for you. Oh, and I have a cousin from Llano, Texas I’d like to introduce you to soon–I think you two will really hit it off!
XOXO,
AMD Fusion APU
Cute, AMD. And here we thought maybe you and Intel had finally made up.
AMD can’t even get through Valentine’s Day without knocking Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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