December 21, 2009

Intel has announced new Intel Atom processors that feature integrated graphics built directly into the CPU, enabling improved performance and smaller, more energy-efficient designs in a new generation of netbooks and Atom-based entry-level desktop PCs. Major OEMs have committed to having systems on the new Intel Atom processors and a new companion chipset available within the next few weeks.

The newest Intel Atom platform, formerly codenamed “Pine Trail,” consist of a new Intel Atom processor, the N450, and a new low-power Intel NM10 Express Chipset (for netbooks). For entry-level desktop PCs, it consists of either the Intel Atom processor D410 or the dual core D510, also paired with the Intel NM10 express chipset. The Atom processor was designed from the ground up for small devices and low power, and remains Intel’s smallest chip, built on the company’s 45nm high-k metal gate manufacturing process. The overall package, including the chipset, just got smaller due to the increasing integration and 45nm manufacturing, which means smaller, more compact system designs, lower costs for OEMs and improved performance.

Broad Industry Momentum
Intel continues to see broad industry support for the Atom platform as netbook in particular have been hot sellers during a recessionary year due to their affordability, function and small size (7-10-inch screens). Additionally, Intel is expecting to see broad channel adoption for Atom in a variety of small form factor entry-level desktop PCs at low price points, including ultra-small designs (less than 1-litre chassis), fanless designs, and low-cost all-in-one designs.

Since Intel announced the first Atom processor for netbooks and entry-level desktop PCs in June 2008, the market has expanded rapidly. Since introduction, Intel has shipped over 40million Atom chips for netbooks to every major OEM around the world. In the same timeframe, netbooks have ramped faster and sold more units than Apple‘s iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. According to ABI Research, total Atom shipments for all segments are expected to continue to grow into the 100s of millions by 2011. Intel is not letting up, offering the next-generation platform for OEMs to continue to innovate around.

“The Intel Atom processor has feuled an entirely new category of computing over the last year and a half and we think the growth will continue for devices like netbooks and entry-level PCs built around basic computing and Internet usage models,” said Mooly Eden, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of Intel’s PC Client Group. “We’re excited to be delivering the next-generation Atom platform and working across the industry as we head into a second phase of growth, powering innovative new system designs with better performance, smaller footprints and better battery life.”

Intel has over 80 design wins to-date for the new Atom platform from such leading OEMs as Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Dell, MSI, Toshiba, Samsung and Fujitsu. While the bulk of the systems will feature the new Windows 7 Starter or Home Basic operating system, consumers will have a choice when it comes to selecting an operating system, with some OEMs offering Moblin Linux v2 as an alternative for customers who desire a customizable and differentiated user interface.

Worldwide netbook shipments by telecommunication companies are also growing and expected to fuel another round of expansion. Intel has been working closely with mobile operators and modem vendors to advance 3G capabilities in netbooks in established and emerging markets. To date, approximately a dozen service providers offer netbooks in various markets, and the numbers are expected to grow with the newest platform.

Improved Processor and Graphics Performance
One of the most significant features of the new platform is the integration of the memory controller and graphics into the CPU, a first in the industry on x-86 chips. That means two chips (CPU+chipset) instead of the previous three (CPU+chipset, I/O controller hub), a lower TDP and substantial reduction in cost, overall footprint and power. The netbook platform features a 20% improvement in average power and smaller package size over the previous Atom platform. This translates into smaller and more compact system designs and longer battery life. Because of the integration, the total footprint for the netbook platform has decreased by approximately 60%. For entry-level desktop PCs, it’s nearly 70% reduction in footprint and about 50% lower TDP than the previous generation.

About the Platform
The N450 is a single core atom processor with 512k of L2 cache and a seven-watt total kit TDP including chipset. The D410 for entry-level desktop PCs is a single-core Atom processor with 512k of L2 cache and 12-watt kit TDP including chipset, and the D510 for entry-level desktop PCs is a dual core Atom processor with 1meg L2 cache and 15-watt total kit TDP including chipset. The new chips all run 1.66GHz. Pricing and availability will be announced in January as systems become available from OEMs.

The top news in this year’s travel industry was, without a doubt, Tourism Queensland‘s “Best Job in the World” competition to find a conservation worker to work at the world-renowned “Great Barrier Reef”. As this job came with a 150,000 Australian dollars salary for six months worth of work, it was soon deluged with applications. Only one opening was available so when the winner was announced, all the other candidates could only sigh in disappointment.

You might have missed out on the chance of securing the “Best Job in the World” to swim among coral atolls and see colorful sea life, but don’t lose hope yet! MSI is now running the “Global Creative Video Challenge”. The challenge will run from July 15 through to September 15. To enter, citizens of the world simply have to produce a creative short film running from 10 to 20 seconds that features an MSI notebook as the main character.

MSI’s “Global Creative Video Challenge” will select 15 winners from all around the world. Not only will each winner receive an MSI X-Slim X340 – the hottest slim aesthetic notebook this year – but they will also win a free trip to the Great Barrier Reef near Australia. For more information about the competition, please visit xslimvideoevent.msi.com/.

In its unending quest to capture portable computing’s X-Factor, MSI held and recently concluded multiple roadshow events for the X340 super-slim notebook with multiple X-citing activities for all participants. The roadshow events were held at SM City Manila, SM City Marikina, and SM Cubao Cyberzone, and each roadshow event had select activities for shopper’s enjoyment. All of the venues listed above also had other MSI products on display – combined with the svelte X340 notebook and the multiple activities – the MSI X-Slim Roadshows are all certifiably successful in bringing the X340 to the style-conscious majority.

MSI today announced their latest 40 nanometer AMD Radeon HD 4770 GPU-based graphics card, the MSI R4770 series. Using only the very best components and high-end GDDR5 high speed memory, the MSI R4770 stands out among other GPUs in its class by virtue of its great performance and exceptional energy-efficiency.

The first 40 nanometer graphics processor

In contrast to the traditional 55 or 65 nanometer graphics processors, the MSI R4770 is using the brand new 40 nanometer graphics processor allowing the overall design to dramatically reduce the space being occupied by the power circuitry and pipelines. This effectively results in improved power efficiency and also brings about a better signal quality.

By taking the lead in implementing the 40 nanometer graphics processor, which means it is possible to increase more transistors with the extra space. Another advantage over the conventional 55 and 65 nanometer cores is the 40 nanometer’s GPU reduced power consumption, which in turn also minimizes heat emission, and therefore allowing for a bigger overclocking potential.

Taking the lead by using high-speed GDDR5 on a budget graphics card

In the past only high-end graphics cards such as the R4870 and the R4890 series had been equipped with high-speed GDDR5 memory, MSI is taking the lead in adding GDDR5 memory to their budget cards, providing for higher clock speed. Furthermore, compared to equally clocked GDDR3, MSI R4770 series’ GDDR5 memory offers twice the data throughput bandwidth which is essential for modern games with their huge demand for complex rendering operations.

Surpassing similar products on the market by 15% more performance

The brand new 40 nanometer process graphics processor combined with high-speed GDDR5 memory truly make the MSI R4770 an astoundingly powerful graphics card. Benchmark test results of 3DMark Vantage clearly show a 15% performance lead over third party graphics cards of the same class.

Ultra power efficient with less than 90 Watts power consumption

Not only is the MSI R4770 providing superior high-end graphics performance, but also uses the ATI PowerPlay technology to implement a dynamic power management function. This means that even under full load and power consumption is at its peak, the MSI R4770 graphics card won’t consume more than 90 Watts, putting it far upfront the competition.

The MSI R4770 also supports latest UVD 2.0 hardware decoding technology, which fully replaces CPU utilization during Blu-ray disc playback. In turn this also means that this highly power efficient graphics cards even helps reducing overall system power consumption.

Given the title “world’s lightest and slimmest 13” notebook” at its debut in CES January 2009, the MSI X340 is 6 mm at its thinnest and 20 mm at its widest, weighing 1.3 kilograms with battery.

MSI makes its fashion statement through the X-Slim series. The chic design of the X340 frees notebooks from the monotone and makes them works of art, attracting media eyes worldwide, and making MSI more a notebook boutique than an IT manufacturer.

The X-Slim embraces a simple and modern design concept and meanwhile features the most advanced multimedia and power saving technologies.

The First 13” Notebook Equipped with a 16:9 Wide Screen
The X340 has a 13” LCD display instead of the usual 12” or smaller sizes. This provides more comfort in reading and operation as well as lighter weight compared to 14” models.

The 16:9 theater ratio provides larger visual area. When watching movies, the black bars on the top and bottom usually found on screens with the 16:10 aspect ratio screen are avoided. This is perfect for playing HD videos at any possible angle, and is ideal for total visual enjoyment.

The X340 is embedded with the LED power-saving backlight technology, which also provides better color fullness and brightness, elevating the total quality of imagery. Furthermore, the lower power usage gives a longer operating time.

Full I/O Ports in a Notebook measured 6mm at its thinnest
The X340 includes full I/O ports to provide users a full connectivity and ease of use. There are two USB sockets, one HDMI, a MIC-in, Headphone Out, D-Sub (VGA), an RJ-45 LAN port and a card reader.

The MIC-in port supports microphone or headphone by auto-detecting which device is used. The friendly design makes exclusive vocal enjoyment sharable. HDMI Digital Terminal Interface offers more than 5 GB of transmitting bandwidth and also removes the complications of multiple cables.

Five Alternatives for Power Saving
The X340 is equipped with MSI’s ECO Engine power management system. Users are free to select from five different modes — office, gaming, movies, presentation, and turbo battery. Through various conditions such as the brightness of the screen and standby timeframe, the power consumption can be much more flexible, providing much more uptime. This escalates the productivity and convenience for users of the X340.

The X340 features the latest Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology, which uses Intel® Core 2 Solo ULV Processors and the Intel® GS45 + ICH9M-SFF Chipset, to deliver long battery life.

All-around, Wireless Connectivity
The X340 is embedded with an IEEE 802.16e WiMAX™ wireless module (optional), which elevates the X340′s wireless performance and allowing the user’s online experience to be faster and more mobile. Users can access the Internet world through WiMAX™, never missing the latest information.

The X340 also has 802.11b /g/n Wi-Fi® wireless capability, covering all the bases when it comes to wireless connectivity protocols.

The X340 also provides Bluetooth capability which can be connected to cellular phones, earbuds, PDAs, and other gadgets. Say goodbye to the fuss of lines and cables!

Pricing
Estimated pricing for MSI X340 when it hits the stores soon is Php 49,999.00. If you need more product information, please visit www.msi.com.tw or call NetEssentials, MSI Notebook’s exclusive distributor in the Philippines at (02) 721-1981 to 83.

March 3, 2009

MSI P45-8D Memory Lover
By Billy Joe I. Allardo
Published in the December 2008-January 2009 print edition of PC World Philippines

P8,950
www.msi.com.tw

It is normal to see eight memory modules on a server motherboard, as its likely environment requires a high memory count to meet the demands of number-crunching processes. With this in mind, eight DIMM slots on a desktop board can be quite rare.

The MSI P45-8D Memory Lover does. It literally stays true to its name by having eight pastel colored memory slots on it, giving it the ability to handle up to four DDR2 or four DDR3 memory types. Of course, you could not plop the said types altogether as both run at different speeds, but you can run four at a time though, with the slots evenly divided between the two aforementioned types. The board can support up to 16GB 1066/800/667MHz DDR2 or 8GB 1600/1333/1066/800 DDR3.

The Memory Lover can prop dual- and quad-core Intel LGA775 processors with a front side bus of up to 1600MHz as well as single-core LGA775-based Celeron units. Managing its Northbridge devices is an Intel P45 chip while the Southbridge is controlled by an Intel ICH10R that can run up to eight Serial ATA 3Gb/s devices with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations.

In spite of the excessive memory options, the Memory Lover sorely lacks the facility to expand. It only has one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, that goes along with a solitary PCI-E x1 and three PCI slots. The single PCI-E x16 slot automatically takes away the possibility of employing a multi-GPU setup for a more powerful approach to graphics-intensive applications.

It would have been nice if the board also has an embedded graphics chip, to further exploit its memory capacity and save some money in the process. The mentioned items could have benefited from the proprietary technologies that MSI added that includes the solid-state capacitors and shielded chokes for better power handling and a built-in overclocking switch that enables direct system tweaking with preset settings.

The MSI P45-8D Memory Lover could have been great, if it had maximized the potential of its memory capacity and the Intel P45 chip. Yet it finds a specific niche among people who currently prefer using the prevalent DDR2 memory, but would likely switch to the faster DDR3 type once the price drops.

February 10, 2009

Instant Performer
By Billy Joe I. Allardo
Published in the December 2008-January 2009 print edition of PC World Philippines

MSI 4850 2D512 OC
P9,990
www.msi.com.tw

The MSI 4850 2D512 OC that visited our lab literally looks like the MSI N9600GT Hybrid Freezer we had a couple of months back. It employs the same cooling mechanism that features an intricate set of aluminum fins, woven with thick copper pipes for extra heat dissipation, and topped by a hard clear plastic and a sizeable fan.

Built around ATI’s mid-level graphics solution – the 55nm fabricated RV770 PRO – the card comes already overclocked. Its engine clock is up to 640MHz from the normal 625MHz, though the memory clock remains at 1.986GHz. This tweak allows a bit more rendering for in-game objects, which bodes well for users who do not want to meddle with hardware settings.

In this setting, the card was able to get a score of 8590 in 3DMark 2006 and rates of 56.8 and 171 frames per second, in Company of Heroes and FEAR, respectively. Compared to the scores garnered by the previous graphics cards we tried out, the ones got by the MSI 4850 2D512 OC are quite competitive. On screen, the lighting and shadows were sufficient, the same goes for the details on in-game items like trees and cobblestone streets.

Still, you can further adjust the clocks. Given the attached cooling mechanism and the capabilities of the chip, it is safe to say that the card has enough grit to withstand the increase in power flow, though it is better if you have a robust overall cooling setup inside the CPU. To provide more power handling, the card comes equipped with solid-state capacitors and chokes, lined specifically to even out-current loads.

We were able to up the engine clock by 9.38 percent and the memory clock by 11.98 percent. Unfortunately, the scores went a tad down (see the table below), though the graphics quality remained pretty much the same making the MSI 4850 2D512 OC as good as it comes out of the box. In addition, the card supports multi-GPU deployment with the dual CrossFire slots it has above it.

To exploit its potential further, MSI bundled the card with a number of utility software. There is the Live suite that enables users to receive BIOS, driver, and utility updates, while Vivid enables fine-tuning of graphic quality. WMIinfo list provides a detailed list of system information while LockBox gives a user a frontline password protection. Despite being a mid-tier offering, the MSI 4850 2D512 OC provides enough oomph to get through graphics-laden games and applications without even yanking its settings.