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AMD launches Trinity APUs to take on Intel’s Ivy Bridge

May 17th, 2012
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AMD has announced its second-generation “Trinity” Accelerated Processing Units.

The A-Series APUs are aimed at laptops, PCs, and embedded hardware. AMD’s latest processors will come in dual- and quad-core variations and go toe-to-toe with Intel’s third-generation Ivy Bridge Core chips.

AMD touts a “ground up” improvement compared to the previous generation with double the performance per watt. Eyeing the Ultrabook market, the firm quotes up to 12 hours of battery life for notebooks by way of the power-optimized “Piledriver” CPU core.

Like Ivy Bridge, there is also a focus on graphics performance. The Trinity chips will have Radeon HD 7000-Series graphics giving an improvement of up to 56 percent on the previous generation.

“Our second-generation AMD A-Series APU is a major step forward in every performance and power dimension, allowing users to enjoy a stunning experience without having to give up the things that matter to them most. This experience doesn’t stop at mainstream notebooks. It carries over into affordable ultrathin form factors featuring the latest in AMD Radeon graphics,” said Chris Cloran, corporate vice president at AMD.

AMD added that the Trinity APUs are “well-positioned to take advantage of the upcoming transition to the Windows 8 operating system.”

The second generation of A-Series Trinity APUs will available from today with “a record number of design wins with companies like Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Sony,” the firm said.

Source:http://www.infoworld.com/d/computer-hardware/amd-launches-trinity-apus-take-intels-ivy-bridge-193384

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Intel Touts 3rd-Gen Core vPro CPUs, Security And IT Focused

May 16th, 2012
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Intel’s 3rd-generation Core i7 CPUs are certainly forces to be reckoned with, but they aren’t the best option for most businesses. In order to give enterprise users an option, too, the company’s introducing a 3rd wave of their Core vPro CPUs. These units are shipping now, aimed at notebooks (Ultrabooks included) across the IT landscape.

To defend against identity theft, Intel introduced Intel Identity Protection Technology with public key infrastructure into Intel Core vPro processors. The technology provides a new second layer of authentication embedded into the PC that allows websites and business networks to validate that a legitimate user is logging in from a trusted PC by using a private key stored in a PC’s firmware. Intel has been working with solution providers and online Web properties such as Feitian, InfoSERVER, Symantec and VASCO to take advantage of Intel IPT technology to ultimately safeguard users’ identity. Clearly, enterprise features are at the heart of these chips.

The Intel Core vPro Processor family includes Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) to remotely manage computing issues. For example, retailers with point-of-sale machines, digital signs or other intelligent devices can remotely diagnose and fix problems over the network. Further details can be found in the Via link below; no word on when actual machines with the new vPro gear will start to ship, though.

Source:http://hothardware.com/News/Intel-Touts-3rdGen-Core-vPro-CPUs-Security-And-IT-Focused/

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Intel DZ77GA-70K Benchmark Performance

May 14th, 2012
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Does Intel really want to cater to enthusiasts? Personally, I’ve never known anyone who used an Intel motherboard in their rig, although I’m sure some people do. And it’s hard to blame them: historically, third party vendors have offered superior performance and features. Intel seemed to be more concerned with stuff like skull logos whose eyes blinked as drive activity indicators rather than creating motherboards enthusiasts would actually want to use.

Here’s a preview: while Intel still has a way to go to before the likes of ASUS, MSI, and EVGA need to start worrying, their latest Extreme series motherboard is the first one I’ve tested that’s actually competitive in features and performance. In one specific area it’s better than anything I’ve seen before.
Testing Methodology and Specifications

I was fortunate enough to have three new Intel Z77 Express motherboards available: the MSI Z77A-GD65 that I’ve previously reviewed, an ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe, and the subject of this performance comparison, the Intel DZ77GA-70K.

I compared the performance of the motherboards at stock speeds using the benchmark programs listed below, with a spiffy new Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770K CPU. Since the Core i7-3770K’s “HD 4000″ integrated graphics shares L3 cache and memory bandwidth with the CPU cores, I disabled it and use and AMD Radeon HD5770 video card for all benchmarks. I used the same processor, hard disk, and memory on each motherboard, so that the motherboards were the only thing that changed between tests. Any performance differences at stock clock speeds are thus due to the motherboards.

On the Intel motherboard, I also ran the benchmarks at the highest overclock I could achieve.

Source:http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=915&Itemid=69&limit=1&limitstart=0

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Intel CEO Otellini calls out ARM on Windows 8 tablets

May 11th, 2012
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Intel CEO Paul Otellini on Thursday said that the company has an advantage over its rival ARM on Windows 8 for tablets because of decades of developing x86 chips that support the Windows operating system.

“We think it’s a differentiator,” said Otellini at the company’s investor meeting in Santa Clara, California. “We have the advantage of the incumbency, the legacy support.”

Intel’s only competitor in the Windows 8 tablet market is ARM, whose processors ship in most tablets today. ARM may have an entry point to the Windows tablet market, but faces a tough road ahead considering Intel’s history with Windows, Otellini said.

Windows grew up on x86 chips, but Microsoft is now also releasing Windows for the ARM architecture to make a dent into the tablet market. The upcoming Windows 8 OS will have a touch-based user interface and will come in three versions — Windows RT for ARM, and Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro for x86 chips.

Intel plans to offer a new low-power Atom chip code-named Clover Trail, which will be released at the time of Windows 8 later this year. Otellini said PC makers are designing 20 Windows 8 tablets based on Intel chips.

No ARM-based device makers have publicly announced Windows tablets, though Microsoft is working with ARM-based chip makers Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments to bring Windows 8 compatibility to tablets and PCs.

Playing the application compatibility card, Otellini said tablets with Intel’s upcoming chips will support older applications written for previous versions of Windows, which is important for CIOs.

“There’s going to be some compatibility issues for other architectures,” Otellini said.

Just by pressing one button on a tablet, users will be able to jump into legacy Windows mode for those who need an older user interface, Otellini said. The Windows 8 tablets on Intel chips provide a snappy response, Otellini said.

Many application compatibility issues have been raised in the past. Intel last year claimed that legacy x86 applications would not work on Windows on ARM, a claim that was shot down by Microsoft. However, Microsoft later said that Windows on ARM would not be able to run or port existing x86 applications.

Microsoft is trying to raise the appeal of Windows on ARM by bundling basic Office applications — collectively called Office 15 — with versions of Windows RT. Microsoft Office will not be included with Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro.

There are also hardware compatibility issues at stake. For example, older printers and cameras may not work with Windows on ARM devices as drivers are currently compatible only with x86 chips, and companies may be unwilling to rewrite drivers for ARM.

Intel also hopes to bring tablet features such as touchscreens to its upcoming class of thin-and-light laptops called ultrabooks. Top PC makers expect to release ultrabooks based on Windows 8 in the future.

ARM could not immediately respond when asked about Otellini’s comments.

Source:http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227066/Intel_CEO_Otellini_calls_out_ARM_on_Windows_8_tablets

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Intel and McAfee unveil plans for unified security future

May 7th, 2012
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Intel and MacAfee have been talking about the fruits of their merger and their plans for a cloud to computer security network that will be built into new systems.

Jason Waxman, general manager of Intel’s Cloud Infrastructure Group, said that over the last year or so he’d been inundated with questions about what Intel was going to do with McAfee since it lashed out $7.68bn for the security firm, during an industry-wide buying spree on cyber-security companies. Chipzilla’s been intentionally quiet on the subject, but was now ready to talk he said.

What Intel is planning is a cloud to desktop security strategy, mixing hardware and software features in a federated framework designed to make cloud computing safer, locking down the desktop and, coincidentally, giving IT managers another reason to specify Intel’s systems during the next upgrade cycle.

“I think, of the public cloud providers, there are many that are doing an excellent job at security,” he said. “In fact, when I look at how enterprises do they are as good if not better. But the reality is that there’s a perception of poor security.”

Intel wants to mate its Trusted Execution Technology (TET) that’s built into the Xeon E5 processor family with software controls from McAfee. The chipset will work with McAfee’s ePolicy Orchestrator to analyze networks and enforce policy while updating and protecting the larger environment.

The two companies also released a new antivirus tool for the cloud, dubbed McAfee Management for Optimized Virtual Environments AntiVirus. This seeks out malware and uses application controls to limit infection spread and downtime, while pushing out updates as and when. A connections manager also monitors data entering and leaving the datacenter for signs of infection.

At the user end Intel is linking in with features in the Core i3, i5 and i7 processor ranges to try and keep systems clean, and there’ll be some integration with the cloud systems, including a single sign-on mechanism.

Intel’s reaching out to the relevant standards organization to pull in other partners, and has announced talks with the Cloud Security Alliance and Open Data Center Alliance. El Reg suspects a lot of people will wait and see how the architecture stands up in the real world before jumping on board.

Source:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/05/intel_mcafee_cloud_security/

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Intel’s Ivy Bridge Chips Appear to Run Hotter When Overclocked

May 1st, 2012
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Intel’s new third-generation Ivy Bridge processors offer a performance boost (especially in the graphics department) with lower power usage, but overclocking these chips to gain even more speed may be a bad idea. Several tests find Ivy Bridge processors to run much hotter than second-generation Sandy Bridge chips when significantly overclocked.

Overclocking, for the uninitiated, refers to running your hardware at a faster speed than the manufacturer intended–so you can squeeze the most performance out of your processor, graphics card, memory, or other computer component. PC enthusiasts push the limits of their hardware by overclocking.

Unfortunately, Intel’s new Ivy Bridge processors may get dangerously hot when pushed too far–as much as 68° F (20° C) hotter than Sandy Bridge processors, according to independent overclocking tests done by AnandTech, Tech Report, and Overclockers.

Pushing an Intel i7-3770K processor over Intel’s peak 3.9GHz rating for this chip to 4.9GHz or above and with the CPU voltage increased as well, the CPU rises to around 212° F (100° C)–which is hot enough to boil water.

This is significantly hotter than the 176° F (80° C) measured for a Sandy Bridge chip running at the same 4.9GHz.

The biggest leaps in temperatures occur when the voltage is ramped up significantly, as this AnandTech chart shows: Going from 1.05 volts to 1.30 volts at 4.4GHz CPU frequency, the temperature rapidly rises from a stable 149° F (65° C) to more than 194° F (90° C).

Why Does Ivy Bridge Run Hotter?

Why should the Ivy Bridge chips, which are more power efficient than Sandy Bridge, run hotter?

PCWorld Senior Editor Jason Cross suggests four possible reasons for these findings. The heat issue also may be a combination of these factors:

Ivy Bridge packs more transistors into a smaller area than Sandy Bridge. That means increased thermal density–heat generated in a given area. It’s harder to cool processors where the heat is concentrated into a small space. Modern CPU chips have a “heat spreader” on top of them. It’s part of the processor package. The Sandy Bridge heat spreader was soldered on, while the Ivy Bridge heat spreader makes contact with the CPU using thermal paste. It may not be conducting heat as well as the Sandy Bridge’s soldered heat spreader. Ivy Bridge usually runs using a lower operating voltage than Sandy Bridge. But to overclock it way up to 4.9GHz, you have to bump up the voltage. In fact you have to add more voltage to an Ivy Bridge processor than a Sandy Bridge processor to reach that level. Since power consumption is strongly related to operating voltage, this means you’re adding more power consumption and heat. Intel’s 22nm manufacturing process is quite new, while the 32nm manufacturing process used with Sandy Bridge is more mature. As the months roll on and Intel improves its 22nm process, leakage and heat dissipation may improve.

The bottom line is that extreme overclocking isn’t recommended for Ivy Bridge systems–take care when increasing the CPU voltage above a few hundred MHz.

Otherwise, you may end up creating more heat than necessary in your laptop or desktop computer, which can shorten the lifespan of your hardware and lead to stability problems.

Source:http://www.pcworld.in/news/intels-ivy-bridge-chips-appear-run-hotter-when-overclocked-69852012

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Intel launches Ivy Bridge CPUs

April 25th, 2012
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Intel has finally launched its Ivy Bridge range of processors, which, according to the chip making giant, is the first generation to feature 3D transistors.

According to Intel the addition of 3D transistor will allow processors to deliver more computing muscle while consuming less energy, which means big gains for battery life and hardware that generates significantly less heat.

The Ivy Bridge range currently consists of 13 quad-core processors, many of which will be aimed at desktop computers, with additional dual core processors, intended for notebook PCs to be announced later this year.

Intel says there are over 570 new Ivy Bridge based products in development including numerous ultrabooks, desktop computers and a significant amount of “all-in-one” form factor PCs (where the computer hardware is integrated into the screen for a more slim-line design).

Ivy Bridge is also Intel’s first processor manufactured using the 22 nanometre process, which means it should be capable of bringing approximately 20 percent more performance to the table whilst using up to 20 percent less power on average.

Having already built three massive manufacturing plants to fabricate the new chips, a fourth plant is expected to open later this year, which means Intel should be well positioned to meet demand. Last year the chip maker struggled to supply the market with Sandy Bridge processors because of explosive demand for the then new processors.

Developing a robust lead in the CPU market is critical for the chip making giant, as long-time partner, Microsoft, has develop a version of Windows 8 for use on hardware powered by competitor Arm. Much of the interest in Arm CPUs has been driven by greater demand for energy efficiency over raw computing power.

The secret underpinning Ivy Bridge’s power efficiency and performance lies with Intel’s 3D transistor technology (which according to Intel has been in development for over 11 years). Intel is confident that this should give them the means to compete with Arm on processor energy efficiency whilst also allowing Intel devices to theoretically outperform Arm equipped hardware.

Where the transistors built into most silicon have traditionally used a “flat” design, Intel has made their transistors “3D” – replacing the flat “2D” gates in each transistor with super-thin fins that rise up from the transistors silicon base. Three gates are wrapped around each fin – two on each side and the other across the top. Which means that even though the transistors in Ivy Bridge chips are a tiny 22nm (that’s 1/22 billionth of a metre), which means that if you were able to physically arrange something this tiny, you’d be able to fit a boggling 4000 of them across a the width of a single strand of hair. Intel have plans to manufacture even tinier 10nm transistors by 2015.

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Another key draw card for buyers and manufacturers with Ivy Bridge processors will also be improved graphics rendering capabilities thanks to an integrated GPU (graphics processing unit) on the chips, rather than a separate graphics card adding additional costs to computing hardware.

With improvements in processing speed, Ivy Bridge powered devices should be capable of handling HD video and working 4K resolution offered by top-end video cameras. The faster GPU hardware should also allow for quicker video transcoding, which means HD video could be quickly recoded should users want to send smaller more manageable video clips without blowing out data allowances.

On-chip USB 3.0 support has also been added, which should see a growing number of device makers offering it as a standard for zippier data transfers to hard disks, cameras and other USB 3.0 devices.

Source:http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/6801254/Intel-launches-Ivy-Bridge-CPUs

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