Nvidia Ion 2 slower than the original Ion?

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cer last week announced its Aspire One 532G netbook as the first to carry Nvidia's forthcoming Ion 2, but few details have been revealed about the next-gen graphics chip. Some folks at NetbookNews recently got their hands on the Aspire One 532G at Mobile World Congress, and they managed to sneak in a 3DMark 03 graphics benchmark.

While the results aren't conclusive, the Ion 2 actually performed worse than the original. The Aspire One 532G scored 3,049 3DMarks, which compares to 3,593 3DMarks for the Ion LE-equipped Samsung N510. Netbook Choice speculates that this may show issues Nvidia has faced with Intel's Pine Trail architecture.

Since the GPU-maker isn't allowed to create chipsets around DMI, the Ion 2 likely uses PCIe to interface with Pine Trail. It's suggested that limited bandwidth over PCIe could be the culprit -- at least partially -- but there are other explanations. For instance, Acer and Nvida might have crippled the system to keep it stable while being shown at MWC. Unpolished drivers could also be responsible.

An Nvidia representative quickly responded to the unflattering benchmark results: "I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the benchmark that was performed at that show. I believe the units there were pre-release systems. We haven’t provided performance data yet for the public, we’ll have more details coming in early March."

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Lenovo intros six new Think-branded business computers

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enovo has announced it will ship six new Think-branded business-minded computers
next month. The company flaunts its ThinkPad X201 as the industry's fastest ultraportable laptop, the X201s as the thinnest and lightest in its product line, the X201t is the "smart tablet for business users," and the W701 and W701ds mobile workstations are the most powerful ThinkPads.

The ThinkPad X201, X201s, and X201t all have 12.1-inch displays (capacitive multitouch for the tablet), an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, Intel graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, have a range of disk and solid-state storage options, and run Windows XP or 7. The X201 and X201s offer up to 11 and 12 hours of battery life, and both weigh less than three pounds. In order of mention, prices start at $1,199, $1,599, and $1,549.

The ThinkPad W701 and W701ds workstations sport 17-inch screens, with the latter also packing a 10.6-inch display. Apart from the dual-screen, the machines are seemingly identical. Both carry either a Core i7-920 or i7-820QM processor, an Nvidia Quadro FX 3800M or FX2800M GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, an HDD or SSD, Windows XP or 7, and weigh around nine pounds. Prices start at $2,199 and $3,799. 

Lenovo says its ThinkServer TS200v "goes big on features and performance" with prices kicking off under $500. It can be configured with a handful of Core i3 and i5 processors, but scales all the way down to the Pentium G6950 and Celeron G1101. Other features include a DVD drive, room for two 3.5-inch drives in RAID 0/1, gigabit Ethernet, PCI as well as PCIe X1 and x16 slots, ten USB ports, and VGA-out.

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Intel Core i5 750 Processor Review

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t has been 10 months since Intel unleashed its Nehalem architecture and we showed you the Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition. Not much has changed in the high-end sector during this timeframe, as Core i7 processors are still brutally fast and equally expensive.

The new Intel Core i5 750 is the first release in a series of processors based on a mainstream version of the Core i7 platform. It is a quad-core part based on the "Lynnfield" architecture, fabricated using a 45nm process and utilizing the new LGA1156 platform. The Core i5 750 is set to cost just $199, it will operate at a healthy 2.66GHz and feature a whopping 8MB L3 cache, but no Hyper-Threading support will be present.

In our review we will go into more detail about Intel's reworked desktop CPU line-up, the new P55 chipset (LGA1156), and our usual load of benchmarks comparing this new processor against current Core 2 Quad offerings, the Core i7 920 and the AMD Athlon II X4 965.

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Samsung hopes to launch OLED laptops next year

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amsung is hoping to launch OLED-equipped laptops by the third quarter of next year. According the company's head of worldwide sales and marketing, Kyu Uhm, Samsung is the largest OLED screen manufacturer. Uhm added that Samsung will adopt OLED displays as soon as they are commercially available for laptops.

Research firm Gartner believes that mainstream OLED notebooks will have an increasing presence over the next five years. Samsung is surely sold on the technology, having already shown off an AMOLED notebook prototype. Introducing an OLED laptop toward the end of 2010 woul

In October of 2007, the company said it planned to have 3.5" to 7" panels prepared for ultra-portable systems in 2008, which would be followed by 14", 15", and 21" displays for laptop and desktop computers in 2009. It predicted that it would have full 40" and 42" HD OLED panels by 2010 and Flexible OLED (FOLED) displays by 2012 at the latest.

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Toshiba announces Blu-ray-equipped Satellite P500

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oshiba has announced its new media-centric notebook, the Satellite P500. The Satellite P500 features an 18.4" 16:9 (1680x945 or 1920x1080) LCD display, an Intel Core 2 Duo, up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, an Nvidia GeForce G210M (512MB VRAM) or 230M GT (1GB VRAM), and two 500GB HDDs.

Equipped with a Blu-ray drive and focused on entertainment, the P500 ships with more than just the expected trimmings. Additional specs include a TV tuner card, VGA and HDMI-out, a remote control, 802.11a/b/g/n, an HD webcam, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, three USB 2.0 as well as Firewire and eSATA ports, S/PDIF digital audio interfacing, an Express Card slot, a 5-in-1 Bridge Media port, and Harmon Kardon speakers.

Toshiba boasts that the Satellite P500 is Energy Star 5.0 certified -- but that seems moot with an 18.4" display, an Nvidia G210/230M GT and dual HDDs. The P500 will hit shelves in the fourth quarter of this year, which likely means you can expect to see Windows 7 installed. Pricing wasn't disclosed. Catch a video after the jump.

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Sony announces 11.1" ultraportable VAIO X notebook

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Sony has introduced the new ultra-thin VAIO X laptop series today in Berlin at the IFA 2009 electronics event. There aren't too many details available yet, but based on reports from outfits attending the gathering, it's a premium ultra-portable with a non-glossy 11.1" display, a carbon fiber .55" chassis, and weighs a mere 1.5lbs.

According to Engadget (who is on site), the system will tout an "all-day" battery life, and will set a new standard for stamina. There is nothing official about what will power the VAIO X at launch, but Engadget is reporting that they hear it packs an Intel Atom. That said, nothing is locked in and there's no telling if CULV-based models will be available.


After watching a video shot by NetbookNews, I have to admit that while attractive, the model they handled was looking a little fragile (watch the display as it's opened). Sony is expected to announce an official spec sheet next month, and the VAIO X will hit stores about a week after Windows 7's October 22 launch. Does anyone want to take a stab at the MSRP?

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Nokia reveals full specs and price of Booklet 3G

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arly last week, Nokia announced its much-expected entry into the netbook space with the Booklet 3G. The company hyped the device's 3G connectivity, lightweight design and alleged 12 hours of battery life; but for the most part hardware details were kept under wraps. Now, with its Nokia World Conference currently underway in Germany, the Finnish manufacturer has shed some additional light on its netbook.

The Booklet 3G is constructed from a single piece of machined aluminum, weighs 2.75 pounds, and is just 0.78 inches thick. Color options at launch will be black, ice (white) and azure (blue). The device has a 10-inch screen with a 1280x720 pixel resolution, and can connect to bigger displays using an HDMI port, according to Nokia. It also sports an almost unheard of 16-cell user-removable battery to accomplish the promised half-day runtime.

Under the hood there is an Intel Atom Z530 running at 1.6 GHz and Poulsbo US15W chipset with a fanless design, as well as 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive (1.8-inch, 4200RPM). As expected of a Nokia device, there are plenty connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and 3G/HSPA cellular data network access thanks to a modem and hot-swappable SIM card slot. Other specs include a 1.3-megapixel webcam with integrated microphone, 3 USB ports, Bluetooth, assisted GPS, SD card reader and even an accelerometer.

On the software side, the netbook will come pre-loaded with Microsoft's Windows 7 (Starter, Home Premium or Professional editions) and Nokia services like Ovi Suite 2.0, Nokia Music for PC and Ovi Maps. The Nokia Booklet 3G will retail for 570 Euros (about $810) in Q4 2009, which seems quite pricey for a netbook, but Nokia is expecting the device to be heavily subsidized by phone carriers globally.

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USB 3.0 certification begins, devices closer to debut

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esterday the new SuperSpeed USB standard, USB 3.0, took another step closer to becoming a reality for consumers as the USB Implementers Forum announced the availability of its compliance and certification program. Interested companies can register for testing on USB-IF's site.

Those products that pass the tests will carry a SuperSpeed USB logo that promises interoperability with existing USB 2.0 products and the 3.0 improvements, naturally. Announced as far back as 2007, the next-gen interface is expected to provide users with up to 5Gbps transfer speeds, or roughly ten times the speed of USB 2.0. Unfortunately, USB 3.0 devices are not expected to reach its full potential at launch, with speeds probably reaching only 1.2Gbps initially and improving as the standard matures.

Hardware featuring SuperSpeed USB should arrive towards the end of the year -- we already saw a USB 3.0-packing motherboard from Asus back in July but it reportedly got canceled shortly thereafter. Widespread adoption is still far off, however. According to estimates from research firm IDC, the new standard is expected to grab 30 percent of the USB market share by 2013.

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EVGA intros enthusiast four-way SLI X58 motherboard

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VGA has pulled back the curtain on the world's first four-way GTX 285 SLI capable X58-based motherboard. Simply christened "EVGA X58 Classified 4-Way SLI," the board supports the use of up to four single-PCB GPUs simultaneously. To accompany it, EVGA has also introduced a Classified-branded GTX 285 video card.

EVGA's has built their new motherboard around the XL-ATX form factor, and houses seven PCI-E slots with support for two, three, and four-way SLI or CrossFireX configurations. It features a 10 phase digital PWM with a switching frequency of 1333KHz, low ESR/ESL film capacitor, 100% solid state capacitors, and 300% more gold content on the LGA1366 socket.

Other specs include support for 24GB of DDR3 1600MHz RAM, nine SATA II host adapters with support for RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, and JBOD, dual gigabit Ethernet, twelve USB 2.0 ports, and more. The board's complementary GTX 285 features an 8 phase digital PWM, low ESR/ESL film capacitor, X-Cool jumper, three PCI-E 6-pin connectors, and dedicated voltage read points.

EVGA's impressive offering is said to have broken four 3DMark world records during the Motor City Overclocking Event. The company recommends that the X58 Classified motherboard be used with a chassis that has nine or more expansion slots. Note that the board is quite large at 13.5" x 10.3", so be sure to break out a measuring tape before placing your order.

EVGA is obviously targeting the extreme enthusiast community, and as such, you can expect to pay for it. The X58 Classified 4-Way SLI motherboard is stamped with an MSRP of $450, and the GTX 285 Classified GPU is equally pricey at $380.

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