Apacer DDR4 2133 Revealed

Most, if not all, of the memory modules and kits based on the new DDR4 specification have, so far, sported some kind of heatspreader or other. Apacer decided it was high time one came out that wasn't so encumbered. 

Truth be told, most of the other DDR4 modules and kits released so far could have probably worked without a heatspreader of their own. However, the vast majority of them don't just restrict themselves to the standard 2,133 MHz performance, like the new Apacer DDR4 2133 4 GB/8 GB Unbuffered DIMM does. Instead, they come in overclocked versions as well, going as high as 3 GHz in some instances. After all, as good as DDR4 is compared to DDR3, and no matter how efficient (1.2V instead of 1.65/1.5/1.35V), it would be weird if DDR4 only came in 2,133 MHz when DDR3 can exceed 3 GHz on good days.

Back to the new Apacer RAM, though. Needless to say, the new DIMM modules are intended for computers based on the new Intel Core i7-5000 CPUs. They have been through temperature and high/low pressure testing, as well as live PC and motherboard tests. Unfortunately, Apacer did not see it fit to disclose the price of the DDR4 2133 4 GB/8 GB Unbuffered DIMMs.

Apacer DDR4 2133 4 GB/8 GB Unbuffered DIMM
Image credits to Apacer

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Gigabyte's X99 Motherboard Line Includes Eight Different Models

Motherboards are the basis for all computers. Sure, most people probably choose the CPU before they decide on the mainboard, but the platform determines everything else. That's why the new X99 series from Gigabyte is such a big deal.

Not that Gigabyte is the only one releasing motherboards powered by the X99 chipset. That would be strange considering the impending release of Intel's Core i7-5000 series Haswell-E central processing units. What does set Gigabyte apart from all other companies is the sheer number of different such motherboards that are, or soon will be, available for order. There are eight of them to be precise, called GA-X99-Gaming G1 WIFI, GA-X99-Gaming 7 WIFI, GA-X99-Gaming 5, GA-X99-SOC Force, GA-X99-UD7 WIFI, GA-X99-UD5 WIFI, GA-X99-UD4, and GA-X99-UD3. Gigabyte has set up a specific section on its website where you can find all the information on each model, from bare specs to perks the others lack.

For our part, we'll take a gander at the most important common denominators, the things they have in common that are most relevant, figuratively speaking. For one thing, all the newcomers use an all digital CPU power design from International Rectifier, which includes digital 4th Generation digital PWM Controller and third-generation PowIRstage controllers which power even the most energy-sensitive and demanding components precisely. High-end chokes are another asset, providing server-level reliability and high-current capacity, plus less heat from power loss. The CPU VRM is also more efficient. The feature list continues with solid capacitors, and 3-way or 4-way multi-graphics setups (SLI for NVIDIA, CrossFire for AMD, up to 320 Gb/s bandwidth).

Furthermore, the new mainboards have Dual M.2 technology, meaning that there are two m.2 slots where you can install new SSDs, for 1.8 GB/s performance (on a good day) instead of 500-600 MB/s. Turbo M.2 tech ensures 20 Gbps bandwidth. SATA Express is also available, as is Creative Sound Core3D audio technology (driven by a Realtek ALC1150 controller) and a LED-equipped heatsink. Everything is held together by a copper PCB (2X Copper PCB design with power trace paths that withstand great power loads) and gold-plated CPU socket, PCI Express slots and DIMM slots (8 RAM modules supported). These and many other features were integrated by Gigabyte. The press release below has all the details, although it may prove a rather dry read. The PR veers most verbose, if you know what we mean. Sales should begin soon, for a price of around $400 - $500 / €400 - €500. Image gallery below, click for larger image.

Gigabyte X99 Motherboard
Images credits to Gigabyte

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Overclocker's New Record, Pushes AMD FX-8370 CPU to 8722.78 MHz

Overclocking records are serious business, even if few people actually pay attention to them anymore. A Finnish overclocker calling themselves "The Stilt" just established the new record on the AMD FX-8370.

The processor normally runs its eight cores at 3.3 GHz and eats 125W of energy, or at least that's how much power the system has to use to keep the heat at manageable levels. The Stilt, however, was able to manipulate the base clock, voltages and cooling in such a way that he pushed the frequency a lot higher than that. Specifically, the overclocker was able to drive the AMD FX-8730 to 8722.78 MHz, a clock that was never achieved before on this processor, and most others for that matter. The key was setting the base clock at 276.91 MHz and the multiplier at 31.5x, while core voltage was held steady at 2.004V.

Meanwhile, the 8 GB of DDR3 RAM (2 x 4 GB) ran at 1,107 MHz (2,214 MHz DDR). An ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z motherboard held everything together, including a liquid nitrogen evaporator. The LN2 pot looks about as steamy and weird as you'd expect, although the roll of toilet paper used as insulation definitely raised a few eyebrows, even though it's not the first time such a method is employed. In case you're still skeptical, HWBOT has validated the newest world record.

AMD FX-8370 overclocked to kingdom come
Image credits to HWBOT

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Qualcomm Teases Multi-Core 64-Bit HTC Desire 820 Smartphone for IFA 2014

Chipset maker Qualcomm announced earlier this month that the first smartphone equipped with its own 64-bit system-on-chip would be unveiled this fall and would effectively go on sale by the end of the year.

Several days ago, HTC took the wraps off the world’s first smartphone powered by a 64-bit chipset, the Desire 510. However, the newly announced handset is aimed at the affordable segment of the market, so we expect a mid-range 64-bit smartphone to be launched next month as well. Although previous rumors claimed that the HTC Desire 820 would be the world’s first 64-bit smartphone, it looks like the Taiwanese company has saved the reveal of this particular device for IFA 2014. Today, Qualcomm has taken a step further and teased another smartphone powered by a 64-bit chipset, which we believe is the same unannounced Desire 820 that leaked a few weeks ago. The device in the teaser looks exactly like the one that popped up in China a few days ago. According to the teaser, this 64-bit smartphone will be officially announced in early September and will be showcased at IFA 2014 in Berlin, Germany.

Unlike Desire 510 that features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, the upcoming HTC Desire 820 is said to be packed with a Snapdragon 615 chipset, which is slight more powerful. The Desire 820’s system-on-chip accommodates an octa-core Cortex-A53 processor and an Adreno 415 graphics processing unit. No other details on the smartphone have leaked online yet, but there’s a high chance that more info will emerge in the coming days, so stay tuned.

HTC Desire 820 teaser
Image credits to Qualcomm

We’re thinking about your future: a #Snapdragon powered multi-core 64-bit smartphone is headed to @IFA_Berlin. pic.twitter.com/CS9w7HZGna
— Qualcomm (@Qualcomm) 28 Agustus 2014

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ASUS Flagship Rampage V Extreme X99 Motherboard Has Five PCIe x16 Slots

With Intel's Haswell-E central processing units about to come out, motherboard makers are finally releasing their latest platforms. The ASUS ROG Rampage V Extreme may not have officially been released yet, but the board has already surfaced on the net.

No doubt ASUS will soon make a press release in which it will formally introduce the newcomer, along with whatever other X99 chipset-based mainboards it has prepared. MSI did just that, so ASUS can't do any less. The X99 chipset is the motherboard logic that Intel created to act as the other half of the Haswell-E line of Core i7-5000 central processing units. It provides the LGA 2011-3 socket, which is incompatible with all other CPUs revealed to date. The ASUS ROG Rampage V Extreme has been leaked by SweClockers and is a really fine piece of work, although not quite as overkill as MSI's best, or the ludicrous ASUS X99-E WS (which has seven PCI Express slots). The ROG Rampage V Extreme has five PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, allowing it to establish quad-SLI (NVIDIA) or quad-CrossFire (AMD) multi-GPU video card setups, and still have some I/O support left over.

Sure, the black PCI Express slot in the middle will probably be covered up because of how thick most video adapters are, but there's nothing that can be done about that, unless you equip the video cards with thin water blocks. For example, among others in the water-cooling field, EK already has some selling for every adapter likely to ever be installed in systems based on the newcomer. But we digress. Besides the PCI Express x16 slots, the new mainboard from ASUS possesses eight DDR4 memory slots (for 64 GB total, 128 GB in 2015 when 16 GB DIMM modules are created), one SATA Express port (12 Gbps HDDs/SSDs), an M.2 with PCI Express 2.0 x4 physical layer (1.8 GB/s SSD speed), 802.11 ac WLAN with Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet support, and fourteen USB 3.0 ports.

There's even a high-current USB 2.0 connector, allowing you to recharge gaming peripherals and mobile devices. Everything is powered by 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin ATX connectors. Finally, you will find 12 SATA 6.0 Gbps connectors on the motherboard, as well as UEFI BIOS filled with overclocking features. Sadly, the price of the ASUS ROG Rampage V Extreme has not been confirmed, but it is supposed to be of around $460 / €460.

ASUS Rampage V Extreme Motherboard
Images credits to ASUS

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HTC Nexus 9 Tablet Scores Shows Up in AnTuTu, 46K Points

We have been waiting on the successor of the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet for quite some time now. But at this point, we’re not even exactly sure if Google plans to call the tablet Nexus 8 or Nexus 9.

The most recent info seems to point towards the latter scenario. A purported Nexus 9 tablet has been spotted in the popular AnTuTu benchmark database, highlighting the prowess of the processor running at its core (as seen at Tk Tech News). The Android L tablet appears to have scored an impressive 45,923 points in the AnTuTu tests, which is to be expected since the slate is supposedly taking advantage of the all-new NVIDIA Tegra K1 Denver platform. The Nexus 7 (2013) tablet is one year old and in some locations the slate has been reportedly listed as being Out of Stock. This has fueled speculations that the Nexus 9 shouldn't be far from us. A recent leak places the launch of the device before October 9. We don’t know why this particular date was chosen, and all we can do is hope that we’re going to see the slate within a month. After all, not seeing the Nexus 9 make a debut at the Google I/O was enough of a disappointment.

The AnTuTu listing confirms the spec-list we already shared with you countless times. However, if you are new to the story, we will take the opportunity to remind you that Nexus 9 is expected to tout an 8.9-inch screen with QHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) and take advantage of the NVIDIA 64-bit Tegra K1 Denver platform fitted with 2GB of RAM and backed up by 32GB of internal storage. As we already knew, the Android version in the listing is 5.0, which the rumor mill is now calling Android Lemon Meringue Pie (LMP). The tablet is shaping up to be quite a beast and a worthy successor of the largely popular Nexus 7 (2013) which is still considered one of the best 7-inchers on the market. We also get a glimpse of the IMEI number (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) which means that the tablet will come boasting cellular network connectivity.

And, of course, like all Nexus devices, the new tablet is expected to be released in its LTE-variant, as well. An earlier leak suggested that the slate would come with an MDM9x25 modem (3G model). Anyway, hopefully in a month’s time, we’ll be able to check out the Nexus 9 in its entire splendor. Keep your fingers crossed!

Nexus 9 shows up in AnTuTu
Images credits to TKtechNewsBlog

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BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 Press Photos and Full Specs Sheet Leak

It’s no surprise that BlackBerry has teamed up with Porsche Design once again to offer fans a premium alternative to BlackBerry 10 smartphones that the Canadian company usually launches.

Even though the collaboration between the two companies has only spawned three premium smartphones until now, BlackBerry fans have more luxury products to choose from than consumers who use other brands and operating systems do. The fourth product to result from the two companies’ partnership is called Blackberry Porsche Design P’9983 and is expected to go on sale sometime this fall. The first BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 pictures leaked last week, along with some of its features, but the folks over at BBin have gotten their hands on the full specs sheet of the smartphone. Two press photos have been published as well, so fans of BlackBerry’s premium lineup can have an idea of what to expect from the next product in the Porsche Design series.

First of all, BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 is the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone with QWERTY keyboard launched by Porsche Design. Word is that it might be available for around $2,000 (€1,500) upfront, but this is to be expected considering that it’s a premium handset. The Porsche Design P’9983 will be manufactured from premium material, including the chassis, lock and external keys, which are made from CNC-milled stainless steel. The rear-facing camera’s lens is made of sapphire glass, while for the back cover Porsche Design will use glass weave technology. Owning one of these premium smartphones will add you to an exclusive Porsche Design PIN ID group, which will be recognizable among those who use any Porsche Design products.

Specs-wise, BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 sports a 3.1-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen display that supports 720 x 720 pixels resolution. On the inside, the smartphone will be equipped with a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.5GHz, which will be complemented by 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. There’s no word on a microSD card slot, so we must assume that it will lack one, but given the high amount of storage you get by default, you might not need it. As shown in the pictures, the Porsche Design P’9983 comes with a full QWERTY keyboard. It also packs an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, which features autofocus, LED flash, image stabilization, 5x digital zoom, and full HD (1080p) video recording. The 2-megapixel front-facing camera features fixed-focus, image stabilization, and 3x digital zoom. It can also capture HD (720p) videos at 30fps.

When it comes to connectivity, BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 offers a wide range of options, including LTE, HSPA+, Wi-Fi., Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, GPS with A-GPS support and microUSB 2.0. The Porsche Design P’9983 will ship with BlackBerry 10.3 operating system out of the box. According to sources familiar with BlackBerry’s roadmap, the Porsche Design P’9983 is likely to go official in September, along with the BlackBerry Passport.

BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 (front)

BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 (back)
Images credits to BBin.in

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Nexus X Leaked Specs Confirm Snapdragon 805 CPU, 13MP Camera, and Android 5.0

News about Google’s next flagship smartphone has recently emerged online, thus confirming that the search giant did not can the Nexus project and plans to continue to add new products to the series.

The next Nexus smartphone to be released by Google is likely to be called X due to some issues with the Nexus 6 name that might infringe on Philip K. Dick’s intellectual property rights. For those unaware, Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” which was turned into a movie called “Blade Runner,” starring Harrison Ford, has some androids in it that are called Nexus 6 models. Nexus One, the first Android smartphone launched by Google in the Nexus series, was the device that started the debacle, as Isa Dick Hackett, daughter to Philip K. Dick, threatened to sue Google over the trademark. Fortunately, that did not happen but not because Google asked for permission, but because the owner of Philip K. Dick’s intellectual property did not think that she had a solid case. This is probably one of the main reasons Google decided to change the name of its Nexus smartphone just this time.

With that being said, the so-called Nexus X has already appeared at an online retailer, and it looks like it will be manufactured by Motorola indeed. The smartphone is listed under a different name, Motorola XT1100, but also has the Nexus X tag line as well. Two Nexus X variants have been spotted by Twitter user @Alex_Vainshtein on fnac’s website, which is not surprising for a device in the series. According to the listing, Nexus X 32GB should be available for purchase for only €420 ($555) outright, while the 64GB model has been priced at €450 ($595). Even if the pricing options is different in Google Play Store, the important thing is that fnac has also revealed some of the phone’s specs.

In this regard, Nexus X is expected to sport a 5.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display of unknown resolution, as well as an impressive 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. On the inside, the smartphone will be equipped with a powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, which will be clocked at 2.7GHz. No other details on the Nexus X’s hardware have been revealed, but it looks like the handset will ship with Android Lemon Meringue 5.0 operating system out of the box. This seems to be the name Google chose for the final version of Android L, which is now only available as a preview for developers. Nexus X is expected to be announced along with the new version of Android sometime this fall. Are you excited about Google’s new flagship Android smartphone?

Nexus X listing at fnac
Image credits @Alex_Vainshtein

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ASRock Fatal1ty X99 Professional Motherboard Pictured

You can expect a whole bunch of new X99 chipset-based motherboards to show up in the next two weeks, although many of them have already been spotted or detailed. ASRock seems quite active in that regard.

The Fatal1ty X99 Professional is one of its mainboards that hasn't surfaced until now though, so the novelty is appreciated if nothing else. The mainboard has a strong VRM, but don't expect it to be able to push 1300W into the CPU or anything, or the Fatal1ty in the name will take a more unfortunate meaning than the intended one. The newcomer also has Gigabit Ethernet, Killer E2200 gaming network controller, and audio tuned for high-impedance headphones. You're also looking at USB ports with power delivery, so that you can use USB audio headsets without problems. Interestingly enough, among the powered ports are USB 2.0 ones.

Other than that, the new ASRock Fatal1ty X99 Professional motherboard is pretty much identical to the ASRock X99 OC Formula revealed not long ago. Unfortunately, pricing details remain a mystery. In fact, that particular motherboard has been pictured as well, but we'll check it out separately, so stay tuned until we do. Suffice to say, it's one big and yellow piece of work.

ASRock X99 Fatal1ty
Image credits to ThinkComputer

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Gigabyte Flagship X99 LGA 2011-3 Motherboard for Haswell-E CPUs

Since we only have a few days left until Intel's Haswell-E CPUs go up for sale, motherboard makers are finally launching their flagship products, or at least allowing the world to catch a glimpse of them. Gigabyte is one of those companies.

We've already seen it once with the ASUS X99 Deluxe Motherboard, a high-end mainboard itching to get a Core i7-5000 series CPU and start crunching numbers. Gigabyte has now revealed the X99-UD7, which is supposed to play in the same league as that, even though it doesn't look quite as great. We're talking about the distinct lack of “armor” on the edge holding the I/O interfaces. The heatsinks are shaped and colored well enough, but that last touch of style isn't there. The company probably thought (and rightly so) that no one will actually place their desktop case with its rear at the front, and cases usually have cover plating there anyway. But pardon our egress. The X99-UD7 is everything we've come to expect from top-tier X99 chipset-based products, from the eight DDR4 DIMM slots to the four PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots. In fact, the PCB is almost exactly the same as the one sported by the Gigabyte X99 Gaming G1.

The main difference is the audio technology, from the ground-layer isolation to the audio-grade electrolytic capacitors, and audio chipset lacking a user-replaceable OPAMP (operational amplifier). It might sound odd to see motherboard makers put so much emphasis on audio technologies, until you realize that there isn't much else that can set mainboards apart at this point. I/O technologies like USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are all standard, and unless you're going to get an add-in daughterboard for better networking, there isn't much uniqueness to be found in this area. The same goes for memory. All high-end X99-based motherboards have eight DDR4 slots, no exceptions, and they come with tougher components than normal to cope with overclocks (Ultra Durable in this case). Needless to say, having four PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots is pretty much warranted as well.

Because of that, at the end of the day, the audio technology is the only thing that can provide some variety. It's not clear if the Gigabyte X99-UD7 has a 5.1-channel or 7.1 channel implementation, so we'll have to wait and see. Sales should start in a matter of days, but the price is unknown. Definitely lower than the $1,000 / €1,000 needed by the Core i7-5960X CPU though.

Gigabyte X99-UD7
Image credits to Gigabyte

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