Dell is bringing Ivy Bridge to the server room

Subject: General Tech | May 10, 2012 - 12:34 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: xeon e3, Ivy Bridge, E3-1200 v2, dell, 22nm

Dell's microserver family is undergoing a major change right now as their 5000 series is moving to the new generation of chips from Intel.  The current C5000 and C5125 uses Athlon II X2 and X4 and Phenom II X2 chips based on the customers preferences and will continue to do so for the near future but the C5220 will be using the not quite yet released yet Xeon E3-1200 v2.  That Ivy Bridge chip means that Dell expects to be selling 17W and 45W versions of the C5220 which gives Intel a nice lead in power efficiency and processing density.  As more new Xeons come out you will see models requiring more power and thus less physical servers in a rack.  Dell expects to fit a dozen of the lower powered models into a full rack mount chassis and eight of the higher wattage models.  Check out the specifics as well as hints as to the other members of the Ivy Bridge contingent of the Xeon family at The Register.

"Dell's PowerEdge server line is once again trying to get out in front of Intel, announcing that its PowerEdge-C family of microservers are revved up with the new Ivy Bridge Xeon E3 processors, which the chip giant is launching soon."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• AMD's Hondo APUs ready for Windows 8 Q4 launch @ The Register
• Microsoft boasts of quicker recovery from NTFS corruption @ The Inquirer
• HP launches several ultrabooks and ultra-like notebooks @ DigiTimes

ASUS Launches Three New Ivy Bridge Desktops

Subject: Systems | May 8, 2012 - 06:56 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: usb 3.0, Ivy Bridge, cases, asus

ASUS, a company popular for its line of enthusiast motherboards and gaming notebooks, recently unveiled three new Ivy Bridge powered desktop systems. Although specific pricing is still up in the air, the three systems span the range from low powered desktop systems to the high end enthusiast computer.

The ASUS CM6870 desktop is a low end desktop that is powered by Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge processors (Core i3/i5/i7 Pentiums), up to 16GB of dual channel DDR3 1600MHz RAM, and a choice from a variety of low end (mainly HTPC class) discrete graphics cards including the NVIDIA GT640 on the top end and the AMD HD5450 on the low end. The system also has Gigabit LAN, up to 4TB of hard drive space, a 300W or 350W PSU, four USB 3.0 ports, 6 USB 2.0 ports, headphone/microphone jacks, and a 16-in-one card reader. The system runs Windows 7 Home Premium x64 or Windows 7 Home Basic x64.

The ASUS CG8270 features higher end CPU and GPU choices, making it suitable for entry level gaming. It uses either a Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, up to 16GB of DDR3 1600MHz memory, up to 4TB of hard drive space, and up to a NVIDIA GTX560 Ti 1GB graphics card. The system comes with a 400W or 500W power supply, depending on what GPU the user chooses. It also features Gigabit LAN, headphone and microphone jacks, a 16-in-1 card reader, four USB 3.0 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and 8 channel analog audio output. This desktop has an angled brushed aluminum front panel and dark chassis. It also runs Windows 7 Home Premium x64.

Occupying the high end is the ASUS CG8580 desktop. At first glance, the desktop has a large black case with an angled design that sports the ROG (Republic of Gamers) branding. It has a front panel that opens up to reveal the drive bays and an LED light that illuminates the ASUS logo. The case further has five open vents to improve airflow. On the inside is a liquid cooled Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, a NVIDIA GTX 680 (or GTX560 Ti SLI) graphics card, up to 16GB DDR3 1600MHz memory, up to 10TB of hard drive storage, dual 128GB SATA III SSDs in Raid 0, and a Xonar DX sound card (optional). IO includes headphone and microphone jacks, four USB 3.0 ports, eight USB 2.0 ports, PS/2 port, Gigabit LAN, 8 channel audio, S/PDIF out, and a 16-in-1 card reader. The desktop also comes with a 700W power supply. It comes equipped with Windows 7 Home Premium x64.

The back of the CG8580 Gaming Rig

The three Ivy Bridge powered desktops are coming soon, but there is no word yet on pricing. In the meantime, please check out our Intel Ivy Bridge and NVIDIA GTX 680 GPU reviews to brush up on the new architectures.

Getting hot and bothered by Ivy Bridge

Subject: Processors | May 2, 2012 - 04:14 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Ivy Bridge, Intel, i7-3770k

Anyone who has been keeping up with the reviews coming out which try overclocking Intel's new Ivy Bridge processor will be familiar with the large amount of power required to hit high frequencies.  While the voltages required to overclock Ivy Bridge and its predecessor Sandy Bridge are very similar, Ivy Bridge's stock voltage is lower so the change is greater for Ivy Bridge.  That larger increase could be one cause of the higher heat that Ivy Bridge generates.  Another theory is that the heatspreader could be a cause as Intel used thermal paste in the design as opposed to the fluxless solder present on SandyB, however other tests have shown that this does not seem to be the case.  The Tech Report has gathered together the current facts on this hot topic, so you can check out the numbers for yourself right here.

"Folks across the web have reported some eye-poppingly high temperatures for their overclocked Ivy Bridge processors, leading to some tough questions about the causes. Does Ivy Bridge truly run hotter than its predecessor, Sandy Bridge, and if so, why? We checked into it, and the answers were surprising, to say the least. Have a look."

Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:

Processors

• Ivy Bridge's heat problems persist, even with the removal of its IHS @ Tweaktown
• Intel Ivy Bridge Processor Overclocking Proves Challenging For Some Motherboard Makers @ Legit Reviews
• Intel Core i5-3570K "Ivy Bridge" Processor Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Intel Ivy Bridge i5-3570K and i7-3770K Review @ Madshrimps
• Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge GPU Performance @ techPowerUp
• Ivy Bridge on air: The Core i7-3770K overclocked on four motherboards @ The Tech Report
• Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge CPU @ SPCR
• Intel Third Generation Core i7 3770K Review @ OCC
• Intel Core i7 3770K "Ivy Bridge" Processor Review @Hi Tech Legion
• Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Ivy Bridge Processor Review @ Legit Reviews
• Ivy Bridge Temperatures – It’s Gettin’ Hot in Here @ Overclockers.com
• Overclocking Intel’s HD 4000 @ SemiAccurate
• Intel HD 4000 Ivy Bridge Graphics On Linux @ Phoronix
• Desktop Ivy Bridge. Intel Core i7-3770K and Core i5-3570K @ X-bit Labs
• Desktop CPU Comparison Guide @ TechARP
• CPU shoot-out: Intel Atom D2700 vs. AMD E-450 @ Hardware.Info
• AMD A8-3870K Black Edition APU Review @ Madshrimps
• AMD Trinity APU Preview: Evolution or Devolution? @ VR-Zone

Alienware Updates Laptop Lineup With Ivy Bridge Processors

Subject: Mobile | April 30, 2012 - 12:43 PM | Matt Smith
Tagged: news, Ivy Bridge, gaming laptop, alienware

When Alienware made some adjustments to its laptop lineup about a week before the Ivy Bridge release, many observers scratched their heads. Why update now? Was the company going to delay its introduction of Ivy Bridge laptops?

Apparently not, as they’ve now made the availability of Ivy Bridge in Alienware laptops official. The M14x, M17x and M18x can now be configured with one of several Ivy Bridge quad cores including the Core i7-3610QM, 3720QM, 3820QM, and 3920XM. The M11x, axed in the lineup change prior to Ivy Bridge's launch, remains dead.

The XM processor, which features a blazing base clock of 2.9 GHz with a maximum Turbo Boost of 3.8 GHz, is only available in the flagship M18x. If that’s still not fast enough for your tastes you can order an overclocked version that ups the Turbo Boost maximum. 

While Ivy Bridge processors will be stock on the M17x and M18x, the M14x still comes standard with a Sandy Bridge dual core. This is because the new dual-cores have yet to be released into the wild. It’s all but certain that the M14x will be updated with a standard Ivy Bridge dual-core once the parts are available.

As you’d expect, Alienware is pairing the latest CPUs with the newest GPUs. The M14x now comes standard with a Kepler-based GT 650M. Buying an M17x will give you a choice between a GTX 660M, GTX 675M or a Radeon HD 7970M. And the mammoth M18x can be had with a GTX 660M, GTX 675M (single or SLI) or two Radeon HD 7970Ms in CrossFire.

If my memory is correct, none of these laptops have been slapped with a price increase. The M14x is $1099, the M17x is $1499 and the M18x is $1999 - in base form, of course. 

These updates put to rest any concerns about the company’s laptop lineup. Based on our review of Ivy Bridge for mobile, we expect the new processors to provide Alienware’s products with a respectable boost in performance. They may allow the laptops to run cooler and quieter, as well. 

Make the jump to read the full press release.

ASUS P8Z77-V Premium motherboard announced.

Subject: General Tech, Motherboards | April 27, 2012 - 02:48 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Z77, msata, Ivy Bridge, asus

ASUS announces their upcoming P8Z77-V Premium flagship motherboard for Intel processors. Many features have been included such as 4-way SLi and onboard MSATA support with a 32GB MSATA SSD.

Does anyone know where I can get 4 GTX 680s?

In case you missed it, JJ from ASUS was recently at the PC Perspective offices to announce their Z77 lineup of motherboards. Lots of stuff was given away to live viewers. JJ stuck around after the live stream to record a couple of videos about overclocking Ivy Bridge and WiDi support which were released publicly earlier this week.

Now they reached out to us to announce their flagship P8Z77-V Premium Z77-based motherboard.

Two antennas, why-fi not?

The main features of the motherboard are as follows:

• USB3 Boost support
• USB Bios Flashback
• Dual Intel Gigabit Nics featuring iNetwork Control Packet Priority
• 4 way SLI and 4 way Crossfire support via a new PLX Gen 3 switch
• Dual Band Wifi with BT 4.0 featuring WiFi Go! Software Suite ( for DLNA Streaming/Serving, Easy file transfer to android/iOS devices and remote desktop functionality )
• Onboard MSATA support with 32GB MSATA SSD
• Digi+ VRM with 3 way Digital power design ( CPU/VRM – DRAM – iGPU )
• 9 SATA Ports
• 6 4 Pin PWM Fan Headers featuring Fan Xpert 2 Fan Technology ( for advanced control in UEFI and OS as well as automatic fan calibration )

The feature which sticks out to me the most is the 32 GB mSATA SSD allegedly packaged with the motherboard. That would certainly be nothing to sneer at. Judging by the photos provided by Asus the flash cells appear to be produced by Toshiba.

Want to see half of a pegasus flashing?

Also visible on the MSATA drive is a chip produced by Nanya which is commonly known for producing RAM. I am, however, not Al and as such will not speculate further about the SSD -- except that my guess is the chip is probably cache. So unfortunately, I do not know which controller it will utilize.

The other feature which catches my eye is the support for 4-way SLi or Crossfire. Not much else to say about that except that knowing somewhere out there someone will be gaming with four GTX 680s and there better be more than a single 60hz 1080p monitor.

Some day.

Podcast #199 - Ivy Bridge Desktop and Mobile reviews, Intel and AMD Earnings, and a Gold Motherboard

Subject: General Tech | April 26, 2012 - 04:59 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: Z77, podcast, nvidia, Ivy Bridge, Intel, earnings, amd, 3770k

PC Perspective Podcast #199 - 04/26/2012

Join us this week as we talk about Ivy Bridge Desktop and Mobile reviews, Intel and AMD Earnings, and a Gold Motherboard

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath, and Allyn Malvantano

Program length: 1:06:54

Program Schedule:

1. Introduction
2. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
3. http://pcper.com/podcast
4. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
   
5. Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge LGA1155 Processor Review
6. Intel Core i7-3720QM - Ivy Bridge For Mobile Review: Monster Kill!
7. NVIDIA continues to tease, sends us a crowbar
8. ASUS Demonstrates Z77 Motherboard Features at PC Perspective
9. ASUS Overclocks Ivy Bridge To 7 GHz, Breaks World Records
10. Intel Announces Q1 2012 Earnings: Not a Record, but Close
11. AMD Q1 2012 Earnings Analysis: Looking Back and Looking Forward
12. New mLink PCI-E to Thunderbolt Enclosure Shown Off at NAB 2012
13. Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
    1. Ryan: ECS GOLDEN BOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    2. Jeremy: 25GB free on Microsoft SkyDrive
    3. Josh: I like this case. Not exactly affordable, but still really nice.
    4. Allyn: Is it a pen or is it a pencil?
14. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
15. http://pcper.com/podcast   
16. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
17. Closing

The i7-3720QM rules the mobile roost

Subject: Mobile | April 26, 2012 - 12:55 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: mobile processor, mobile cpu, Ivy Bridge, intel hd 4000, Intel, i7-3720QM

Matt was not the only one who had a chance to play with a notebook based on the new i7-3720QM, Hardware Canucks received an engineering sample of the ASUS G75VW-3D which contains the Core i7-3720QM and an impressive 16GB of DDR3-1600.  Their testing agreed with Matt's as they saw improvements across the board when comparing this system to a similar SandyBridge based machine on general GPU computing and an even larger increase when testing the HD4000 graphics engine on the chip.  Catch their full review here.

"With such a big deal being made about the introduction of Intel's Ivy Bridge lineup on the desktop side, their new mobile chips deserve a chance in the spotlight as well. In this review, we take a closer look at the new i7-3720QM notebook processor which promises to be a significant step forward for the mobile product space."

Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:

Mobile

• Dell Latitude XT3 Review @ TechReviewSource
• Asus N56VM Review @ TechReviewSource
• Toshiba Excite 10 LE Review @ TechReviewSource
• MSI GT683DXR Gaming Laptop Review @ HardwareHeaven
• Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7170 Review @ TechReviewSource
• Mobile CPU Comparison Guide @ TechARP
• Waterfield IPad2 Suede Jacket Sleeve Case Review @ PCSTATS
• ASUS Transformer Pad 300 @ AnandTech
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Tablet @ TechSpot
• Otterbox Samsung Galaxy S II Commuter Series Case Review @ Madshrimps
• Lava Xolo X900 Review - The First Intel Medfield Phone @ AnandTech