Dune HD Pro : A Premium Entertainment System using the Sigma Designs SMP8910

Dune HD  is one of the most respected middleware developers in the media player scene. By exclusively restricting themselves to Sigma Designs, they have managed to produce an enviable lineup of media players coveted by many people. It was not much of a surprise, then, that their latest offering, the Dune HD Pro received a CES innovation award.

When it was announced in late fall last year, the unit was a silver colored monolithic design. In the space of a few months, it has undergone revisions to become more of a modular design.

The unit in the middle is the player housing the main SoC, the SMP8910. It also has all the DACs for full multichannel analog audio output. The module on top is the Blu-ray / HDD add-on, while the third module
is a NAS system with 4 bays and a touchscreen based control unit. Unfortunately, I couldn't play around with the system because the display was running a canned video, and the unit was just showcased without being powered on (at least in the time that I was at the booth).

The main unit comes in at $1900, and I was told by the Dune rep that the rest of the pricing wasn't fully decided yet. At around $2000, it is difficult to justify the purchase of a media player for a majority of the consumers out there. Hopefully, a lower cost version (with just the SoC, couple of USB ports, wired Ethernet, SPDIF optical out and HDMI 1.4a output) will come out soon.

Much has been said about the SMP8910 and its VXP video post processing. I won't go into the details in this piece, but suffice to say that a large number of users are waiting for the SoC to make an appearance in shipping products and believe that only the premium features offered by the SoC can save the local media streamer market from its current rut.

One of the biggest challenges to be faced by the Dune HD Pro (other than consumers accepting their pricing strategy), is the Cinavia DRM system. While I couldn't elicit any official response from the Dune
representatives, I understood that

Cinavia DRM was included in the latest SDK supplied by SigmaThe Cinavia behavior with that SDK wasn't the same as that of the PS3.

Since the SDK is quite immature, not much can be inferred from the current state. However, Cinavia is a threat that Dune is perfectly aware of. It will be quite interesting to see how it is handled.

At CES, Dune also showcased their IPTV platform (Dune HD TV-101/301) which looks very similar in form factor to the WDTV Live SMP and is targeted towards the same market. In the US, the WDTV Live SMP is well placed, and I believe the Dune HD TV series will find its feet in other markets.

Partnerships with THX and Vudu have also been made public. You can read all about that in the official press releases [1 ] and [2]. It is highly possible that one may be able to watch Vudu in HD on the  various Dune units (based on the SMP8642) already in the market.

Dune also confirmed that the current lineup (Smart series, HD Duo and HD Max) would remain in production and continue to use the SMP8642. There are no plans to shift to a SMP8646 model unless Sigma Designs decides to completely stop shipping the SMP8642 before the SMP8910 lineup takes off.

There is no firm shipping date set for the HDI Dune Pro, but a large number of media streaming enthusiasts (including me) are waiting in anticipation just to see how good the SMP8910 is!

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Arctic Silver Ceramique Premium High Density Thermal Compound 22g

Arctic Silver Ceramique Premium High Density Thermal Compound 22g
By Arctic Silver

Buy new: $4.47
Customer Rating:

First tagged by T. Murray "PhantomWolf"
Customer tags: thermal paste(3), cpu paste, cooling, cpu, cpu grease, cpu coolers, computer heatsinks, thermal compound, intel

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Review & Description

The high-density, ceramic-based thermal compound is specifically designed for modern high-power CPUs and high-performance heatsinks or water-cooling solutions. The Evolution of Cool! Ceramique uses a high-density layered composite of five unique shapes of thermally conductive aluminum oxide, boron nitride and zinc oxide sub-micron particles to maximize particle-to-particle contact area and thermal transfer. This exclusive combination provides performance exceeding most metal-based compounds.Ceramique does not contain any silicone. The suspension fluid is a proprietary mixture of advanced polysynthetic oils that provide superior performance and long-term stability. During the system's initial use, the heat from the CPU lowers the viscosity of the compound to enhance the filling of the microscopic valleys and ensure a minimum bond line between the heatsink and the CPU core. Then the compound thickens slightly over the next 100 to 300 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability.Ceramique is engineered to not separate, run, migrate, or bleed. It does not contain any metal or other electrically conductive materials. It is a pure electrical insulator, neither electrically conductive nor capacitive. Ceramique can easily be cleaned from CPUs and heatsinks with isopropyl alcohol.The 22-gram Ceramique is one of the first products available in a proprietary thermal compound syringe. The new syringe is more compact, easier to handle and dispenses a higher percentage of its content than standard industrial or medical syringes. The amount of compound remaining in the syringe is easy to determine, as the rear of the plunger is perfectly flush with the flange when the syringe is empty. Read more

Find out More for the best price at Amazon

P7P55D-E Premium ASUS

CPU, Chipset and Graphics features
LGA1156 Intel® Lynnfield/Clarkdale Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Lynnfield/Clarkdale processors in LGA1156 package which has memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2-channel (4 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes providing great graphics performance. Intel® Lynnfield/Clarkdale processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world.
Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support!

Flexible Multi-GPU solutions, Your Weapon of Choice!
P7P55D-E Premium brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful Intel P55 platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations. Expect a brand-new gaming style you’ve never experienced before!
Intel P55

The Intel® P55 Express Chipset is the latest one-chipset design to support latest 1156 socket Intel® Core™ i7/Core™ i5 Processors. Intel® P55 providing improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability.


PCIe 2.0

Double Speed; Double Bandwidth
This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 devices for double speed and bandwidth which enhances system performance.

Memory Features
Dual-Channel DDR3 2200(O.C.) / 1600 / 1333 / 1066 support

The motherboard supports DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 2200(O.C.) / 1600 /1333 / 1066 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR3 architecture enlarges the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance.

Future Transfer Technology
True SATA 6Gb/s Support

Unique PCIe x4 Bridge Chip for Ultra Performance
Supporting next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage interface with onboard Marvell® controller, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0Gbps data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.

True USB 3.0 Support

Unique PCIe x4 Bridge Chip for Ultra Performance
Experience ultra-fast data transfers at 4.8Gbps with USB 3.0--the latest connectivity standard. Built to connect easily with next-generation components and peripherals, USB 3.0 transfers data 10X faster and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 components.
ASUS Xtreme Design - Hybrid Processor
ASUS TurboV EVO

Ultimate O.C. Processor
Whether novice or enthusiast, TurboV EVO satisfies overclockers of any level. Intelligently push systems to the fastest, stable clock speeds with Auto-Tuning. Turbo Key boosts performance with a simple touch, while TurboV offers additional advanced options for breaking those records!


Auto Tuning

Auto System Level Up
Achieve extreme yet stable overclocking results automatically with Auto Tuning! With built-in stability testing, Auto Tuning lets even beginners improve performance with no additional cost.



ASUS TurboV Remote

Versatile, Real-time O.C. Hardware Controller
Tweak your settings real-time without interrupting ongoing work or games. With ASUS TurboV Remote, you can overclock, activate Turbo Key and adjust EPU settings directly form a convenient side controller.


CPU Level UP

Ever wish that you could have a more expansive CPU? Upgrade your CPU at no additional cost with CPU Level Up! Simply pick the processor you wanted to OC to, and the motherboard will do the rest! See the new CPU speed and enjoy that performance instantly. Overclocking is never as easy as this.

ASUS Xtreme Design - 48 Hybrid Phase*
ASUS 32+3 Phase Power Design

Unprecedented Innovation with the Best Quality Component for Best Performance
The groundbreaking 32+3 phase VRM design is brought to the ASUS motherboards. 32+3 phase power design, 32-phase for vCore and extra 3-phase for Memory controller inside CPU, can provide the highest power efficiency, and hence generates less heat to effectively enhance the overclocking capability. With the high quality power components such as low RDS (on) MOSFETs, Ferrite core chokes with lower hysteresis loss and 100% Japan-made high quality conductive polymer capacitors, ASUS 32+3 phase VRM design also ensure longer component life and minimum power loss.

*48 Hybrid Phase = 32+3 Phase x T.Probe
T.Probe

Leading Active Cooling Technology
The T.Probe microchip detects and balances power phase loads and temperatures real-time. With optimal power phase functions, components run cooler and extend system lifespan.

ASUS Xtreme Design - Hybrid OS
ASUS Express Gate SSD

0 to Internet in Seconds!
Express Gate™ is an ASUS exclusive OS that provides you with quick access to the Internet and key applications before entering Windows®.
ASUS Exclusive Features
MemOK!

Any Memory is A-OK!
MemOK! quickly ensures memory boot compatibility. This remarkable memory rescue tool requires a mere push of a button to patch memory issues. MemOK! determines failsafe settings and dramatically improves your system boot success. Get your system up and running in no time!
ASUS EPU

System Level Energy Saving
The new ASUS EPU - the world´s first power saving engine, has been upgraded to a new six engine version, which provides total system power savings by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real-time. With auto phase switching for components (which includes the CPU, VGA card, memory, chipset, drives and system fan), the EPU automatically provides the most appropriate power usage via intelligent acceleration and overclocking - helping save power and money.

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution
ASUS Fanless Design - Heat-pipe solution

The Heat Pipe design effectively directs the heat generated by the chipsets to the heatsink near the back IO ports, where it can be carried away by existing airflow from CPU fan or bundled optional fan. The purpose of the innovative heat pipe design on this motherboard is that the groundbreaking fanless design does not have lifetime problems as a chipset fan does. Furthermore, it provides options for users to install side-flow fan or passive cooler. The Heat Pipe design is the most reliable fanless thermal solution to date.
Fan Xpert

Active Quiet & Cool
ASUS Fan Xpert intelligently allows users to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speed according to different ambient temperature , which is caused by different climate conditions in different geographic regions and system loading.Built-in variety of useful profiles offer flexible controls of fan speed to achieve a quiet and cool environment.
Up to 20°C(36°F) Cooler - Stack Cool 3+

Effective Fanless Heat Dissipation at 0dB
Stack Cool 3+ is a fanless cooling solution offered exclusively by ASUS. It effectively and noiselessly transfers heat generated by the critical components to the other side of the specially designed PCB (printed circuit board) for effective heat dissipation - making temperatures cooler by up to 20°C.

ASUS Crystal Sound
10-channel Audio

Enjoy High-End 10-channel sound system on your PC!
The onboard 10-channel HD audio (High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations. This motherboard now adopts the future standard to deliver the most vivid audio enjoyment!!
Noise Filter

Eliminate background noise while recording
This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording.
DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC

DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC delivers exceptional 5.1 surround experience through the most common PC audio setups - your existing stereo speakers or headphones. In addition to virtual surround, “Bass enhancement” provides stronger low frequency bass sound, and “Voice clarification” provides clear human dialogue even with loud background sound. With these technologies, you may experience a better home-theater audio with ease.

ASUS EZ DIY
ASUS Onboard Switch

With an easy press during overclock, this exclusive onboard switch allows gamer to effortless fine-tune the performance without having to short the pins!

Q- Shield

Easy and Comfortable Installations
The specially designed ASUS Q-Shield does without the usual "fingers" - making it convenient and easy to install. With better electric conductivity, it ideally protects your motherboard against static electricity and shields it against Electronic Magnetic Interference (EMI).
EZ-Flash 2

Simply update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS
EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS-based flash utility.
ASUS Q-Design

DIY quickly, DIY easily!
ASUS Q-Design enhances your DIY experience. All of Q-LED, Q-Slot and Q-DIMM design speed up and simplify the DIY process!
Q-Connector

Make connection quick and accurate!
The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and accurate.
O.C. Profile

Conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings
Freely share and distribute favorite overclocking settings The motherboard features the ASUS O.C. Profile that allows users to conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings. The BIOS settings can be stored in the CMOS or a separate file, giving users freedom to share and distribute their favorite overclocking settings.

Industry Standard
IEEE 1394a interface

IEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices.
S/PDIF-out on Back I/O Port

This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems via coaxial and optical S/PDIF-out (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) jacks. It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best signal quality.

SpecificationsCPU Intel® Socket 1156 Core™ i7 Processor/Core™ i5 Processor/Core™ i3 Processor
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Chipset Intel® P55 Express Chipset
Memory 4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)*/1600/1333/1066 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
*Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. Some hyper DIMMs only support one DIMM per channel. Please refer to Memory QVL for details.
*Refer to www.asus.com or the user manual for the Memory QVL(Qualified Vendors Lists).
Expansion Slots 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 (2.5GT/s)
2 x PCI
Multi-GPU Support Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
Supports ATI® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
Storage Intel® P55 Express Chipset built-in
6 xSATA 3.0 Gb/s ports
Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10
JMicron® JMB368 PATA controller
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices
Marvell® SATA 6Gb/s controller:
- 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray)
LAN Dual Gigabit LAN controllers Realtek® 8112L / 8110SC Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET2 and Teaming
Audio VIA® VT2020 10-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Absolute Pitch BD192/24 featuring ENVY HD
- DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC
- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-Retasking
- Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O
IEEE 1394 VIA® 6308P controller supports 2 x 1394a port(s) (one at mid-board; one at back panel)
USB NEC® USB 3.0 controller:
- 2 x USB 3.0 ports (blue; at back panel)
Intel® P55 Express Chipset:
- 10 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at back panel)
ASUS Unique Features Unique PCIe x4 Chip for Ultra Performance
- True USB 3.0 Support
- True SATA 6Gb/s Support
ASUS Xtreme Design:
ASUS Hybrid Processor - TurboV EVO
- Auto Tuning, TurboV, CPU Level UP and Turbo Key
- TurboV Remote
ASUS 48 Hybrid Phase*
- T.Probe Technology for Active Cooling
- 32+3 Phase Power Design
*48 Hybrid Phase = 32 + 3 Phase x T.Probe
ASUS Hybrid OS - Express Gate SSD
ASUS Exclusive Features
- MemOK!
- ASUS EPU
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution
- ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe solution
- ASUS Fanless Design: Stack Cool 3+
- ASUS Fan Xpert
ASUS Crystal Sound
- ASUS Noise Filter
ASUS EZ DIY
- ASUS Q-Shield
- ASUS Q-Connector
- ASUS O.C. Profile
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
- ASUS EZ Flash 2
- ASUS MyLogo 2
- Multi-language BIOS
ASUS Q-Design
- ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
- ASUS Q-Slot
- ASUS Q-DIMM
Overclocking Features Precision Tweaker 2
- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.00625V increment
- vIMC: Adjustable IMC voltage at 0.00625V increment
- vDRAM Bus: 81-step DRAM voltage control
- vPCH: 2-step chipset voltage control
- vCPU_PLL: 4-step reference voltage control
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)
- PCI Express frequency tuning from 100MHz up to 200MHz at 1MHz increment
- Internal Base Clock tuning from 80MHz up to 500MHz at 1MHz increment
Overclocking Protection
- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)
Back Panel I/O Ports 1 x IEEE 1394a
2 x LAN(RJ45) port
10 -Channel Audio I/O
1 x Clr CMOS switch
1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (Purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (Green)
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output
1 x Optical S/PDIF Output
2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (blue)
6 x USB 2.0/1.1 (black)
Internal I/O Connectors 2 x USB connectors support additional 4 USB ports
1 x IDE connector
1 x TPM connector
1 x IEEE 1394a connector
1 x CPU Fan connector
1 x Power Fan connector
1 x COM connector
6 x SATA 3.0Gb/s connectors (blue)
2 x SATA 6.0Gb/s connectors (gray)
2 x Chassis Fan connector (1x4-pin, 1x3-pin)
Front panel audio connector
1 x S/PDIF Out Header
1 x CD audio in
1 x 24-pin ATX Power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector
System Panel(Q-Connector)
1 x TURBO_CON header (for TurboV Remote)
1 x MemOK! button
1 x Power on switch
1 x Reset switch
BIOS 16 Mb Flash ROM , AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
Manageability WfM 2.0,DMI 2.0,WOL by PME,WOR by PME,PXE
Accessories User's manual
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
2 in 1 Q-connector
1 x TurboV Remote
2 x Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s cables
4 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s cables
1 x 2-port USB and eSATA module
ASUS Q-Shield
1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector
Support Disc Drivers
Anti-virus software (OEM version)
ASUS Update
ASUS Utilities
Form Factor ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )