XFX 1000W Pro Series 80 Plus Platinum

We've recently tested the first 80 Plus Platinum PSUs to hit our labs, courtesy of Seasonic and Enermax. Both were good if expensive PSUs, and next up on the test bench is a Platinum series that's sold by a brand without their own PSU factory: XFX. They sent us their newest product, the Pro Series 80 Plus Platinum Black Edition, which sets its sights on the high-end of the market. XFX has created an interesting casing with some unusual elements, but we need to find out how good this model acutally is.

While efficiency is all the marketing rage in the world of PSUs, we should keep in mind that many manufacturers are trying to reach 80 Plus Platinum levels using some "tricks". As we noted in our Seasonic article, there are various routes to higher efficiency, like removing resistors that may fill other roles. Shunt resistors for example transform some of the power into power loss when current flows through it, since there is a voltage drop. That's actually their job as they measure and prevent overcurrent in an indirect way. On the following pages we will show how XFX reached the requirements for 80 Plus Platinum (90%/92%/89% efficiency at 20%/50%/100% load), and we'll also discuss the ODM and how well the XFX model fares in an increasingly crowded market.

]]>

LaCie 2big Thunderbolt Series Now Available

LaCie showcased their 2big Thunderbolt drive at CES 2012 and it has now started shipping. 

Specifications of LaCie 2big Thunderbolt SeriesCapacities4TB and 6TB (and 8TB)Revolutions per minute (rpm)7200rpmMaximum Read Speed327MB/sMaximum Write Speed320MB/sConnectivity2x ThunderboltDimensions (WxHxD)3.5" x 6.7" x 7.8" (9.1 x 17.2 x 20.0 cm)Price$649 (4TB) and $799 (6TB)

The LaCie 2big Thunderbolt Series is essentially the LaCie Little Big Disk in 3.5" form factor. It has two swappable 3.5" drives whereas the Little Big Disk has two 2.5" drives. 3.5" drives offer larger capacities and better performance, particularly with hard drive. The 2big is rated at transfer speeds up to 327MB/s while the Little Big Disk tops out at 190MB/s (both results are for the non-SSD versions). LaCie has an 8TB model on their site as well but there is no price listed, which suggests that it's not shipping yet.

There are also two Thunderbolt ports for daisy-chaining, so you can daisy-chain several 2bigs or other Thunderbolt devices. The 2big most likely uses the same SATA controller as the Little Big Disk, which means you are limited to two SATA 3Gb/s ports. For the standard configuration this isn't an issue, but people who are interested in swapping the hard drives for SSDs should be aware that the SATA controller will be a potential bottleneck with the fastest SATA 6Gb/s SSDs.

]]>

CES 2012: Lenovo reveals IdeaPad U Series Ultrabooks

Lenovo has unveiled its latest IdeaPad laptops over at CES 2012, with colourful new notebooks it thinks will suit anyone and everyone and a couple of Ultrabooks thrown in for good measure.

The IdeaPad U310 and U410 are the latest Ultrabook notebooks to join the line up – both come with "attractive price points" starting at £599.

Optional specs include a 64GB SSD, 500GB HDD, Windows 7 and Nvidia GeForce 6210M 1GB graphics.

The 13-inch U310 weighs in at 1.7kg with a thickness of f18mm, while the U410 is slightly larger at 1.9kg and 21mm thick.

Y not?

Entertainment is the name of the IdeaPad Y Series' game, with the Y480 and Y580 offering 14- and 15-inch displays, Nvidia GTX660M 2GB GDDR5 graphics and Dolby audio through JBL speakers. The IdeaPad Y Series UK pricing starts at £799.

Tripping down the spec ladder are the IdeaPad S200 and S206 which are meant to sit between the netbook and the notebook – here was us thinking that was what the tablet was for.

Both models have an 11.6-inch HD screen with a waist-size of just under 21mm. Inside you're looking at an Intel Atom dual-core processor on the S200 while the IdeaPad S206 rocks an AMD dual-core affair.

There's a webcam and 5 hours of battery life to play with too, but it's likely its wallet friendly price tag (from £299) and colourful looks will draw the punters in, available in pink, red, blue, grey and white.

Series-ously

Also on the colourful side of things are the Z Series IdeaPads (below) – Nvidia GeForce GT640M graphics, HDMI-out and a range of backlit LED HD displays are topped off with Blu-ray disc drives and HD graphics support for a starting price of £499.

If those are a bit too cheerful for you, the Lenovo G Series laptops start at £349 and come with 14-, 15- and 17-inch HD screens and "basic multimedia functions".

Alongside the IdeaPad range refresh, Lenovo has launched its latest IdeaCentre desktop PCs, with the touchscreen B540 and B340 proving the cream of the crop with large HD touchscreen displays and optional 3D thrown in too. Yours for £549 and up.

Samsung 27-inch 9 Series monitor unveiled

Samsung has officially unveiled a second-generation 27-inch Series 9 monitor, with the S27A970 to be shown off at CES 2012 next week.

The stylish monitor is a flagship offering from Samsung taking on the mantle from the Samsung T27A950, and includes the company's proprietary Natural Colour Expert tech and boasts a resolution of 2560x1440.

"Interest in user-generated content and a premium computing experience is growing as consumers are demanding products that allow them to better view, edit and share their photos, videos and entertainment content," said Samsung UK's Neil Sawyer

Answers needs

"The new Series 9 monitor, with Samsung's exclusive Natural Colour Expert technology, answers the need for higher resolution and meticulous detail editing, regardless of the job," he added.

"Its unique minimalist design draws users in for truly immersive computing and delivers Samsung's signature best-in-class viewing experience."

The Natural Colour Expert promises to provide colours 'as they were intended to be seen' and each monitor is apparently hand tuned for colour balance by an engineer.

Also included is Samsung's Plane Line Switching panel tech, that quad high definition resolution, a USB hub in the base, DisplayPort, Dual Link-DVI and HDMI video connections, 7W stereo speakers and a Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) for MHL-enabled smartphones and tablets.

We've not been let in on a UK price yet, but this is a premium offering, so don't expect it to be cheap.

Samsung Announces Series 7 and Series 9 Monitors

T27B750

Samsung has started CES early and has announced two new monitor lineups: Series 7 and Series 9. Series 7 is a premium consumer-grade series whereas Series 9 is mainly aimed toward professionals. Below are the specifcations:

Samsung Series 7 and Series 9 Specifications Series 7Series 9ModelC27B750XT27B750S27A970Screen Size27"27"27"Panel TypeWVA (?)TNPLSBacklightLEDLEDCCFL (?)Resolution1920x10801920x10802560x1440Brightness300cd/m^2300cd/m^2300cd/m^2Contrast Ratio5000:11000:11000:1Viewing Angles178/178170/160178/178Video InputsHDMI2x HDMI, VGAHDMI, dual-link DVI, DisplayPortOther Connectivity2x USB 3.0, USB 2.0, audio out, LAN, Central Station2x USB 3.0, USB 2.0, audio out, WiFi, HDTV tuner2x USB 2.0Speaker2x 5W2x 7W2x 7WMHLYesYesYesPrice$549$599$1199AvailabilityMarch 2012

C27B750X seems the be the successor of C27A750X, which was the first monitor to feature Central Station technology. We analyzed Central Station in last June and to summarize it briefly, it's basically a wireless laptop docking station. You connect a USB stick to your laptop and when you come within ~5 feet of the display, it automatically connects to the display. It acts as an external monitor but you can also use the USB devices connected to the monitor. Unfortunately, the display is still 1080p but the panel type has changed. Samsung lists the type as Wide Viewing Angle LED but as far as I know, there is no such panel type. It's definitely not TN as the viewing angles are much better. It's possible that it's a new panel type developed by Samsung or simply a fancy name for e.g. S-PVA or PLS. The price is down by $50 when compared to its predecessor, which is certainly a welcome action.

C27B750X

Samsung markets the T27B750 as a monitor but due to its HDTV tuner, it's more like an HDTV. However, it does feature a few USB ports and 27" is suitable for desktop use as well. Unfortunately, the panel type is TN so quality wise T27B750 is the worst of the three displays being launched. $599 makes it fairly expensive but its unique design (see photo at the top of this article) may be something people are willing to pay extra to get. 

As for the S27A970, it's currently the only member of the Series 9. It's 27" just like the Series 7 monitors but features 2560x1440 resolution instead of the more common 1920x1080. It uses a PLS panel which is similar to IPS, but according to Samsung provides better viewing angles and image quality. $1199 is a high price for a monitor but Series 9 has been designed for professional use, hence the price can be justified. However, it's still more expensive than e.g. Dell's U2711 or the Apple Thunderbolt Display, although the Samsung may feature a better panel (Dell and Apple both use an LG panel, while the Samsung ones seems to be in-house). 

Also, all monitors include MHL, Mobile High-definition Link. It's an interface found in some newer smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S II, Galaxy Nexus, and HTC Evo 3D. The interface is capable of carrying 1080p uncompressed video and 8-channel audio. MHL doesn't use a specific port and it can be tied to micro-USB and HDMI, both which are fairly common in higher end smartphones. While the availability isn't until March 2012, Samsung will have all three monitors on display at CES 2012.

Source: Samsung (1), (2)

]]>

AMD's dual-chip 7000 series incoming

AMD has confirmed that its upcoming 7970 and 7950 graphics cards will come in dual-chip varieties.

The doubled-up variant, which could end up branded as the Radeon HD 7990, will be codenamed New Zealand in keeping with the AMD's island-based nomenclature.

Based on a 28nm architecture, the 7000 series is said to be AMD's fastest chip so far, beating its current top-of-the-range 6990.

Singularity

The singular cards are scheduled to be released in Q1 2012, with the dual-chipped card following shortly afterwards.

Nvidia is also working on a 28nm dual Kepler card, which we can expect to see around the same time.

There's no word on pricing yet, but it'll probably join the 6990 in the megabucks £500+ ($796+) bracket.

Although we were impressed by the 6990's performance, the extreme pricing was a big minus point. AMD could make the 7000 series more affordable - but we doubt it.

AMD's dual-chip 7000 series incoming

AMD has confirmed that its upcoming 7970 and 7950 graphics cards will come in dual-chip varieties.

The doubled-up variant, which could end up branded as the Radeon HD 7990, will be codenamed New Zealand in keeping with the AMD's island-based nomenclature.

Based on a 28nm architecture, the 7000 series is said to be AMD's fastest chip so far, beating its current top-of-the-range 6990.

Singularity

The singular cards are scheduled to be released in Q1 2012, with the dual-chipped card following shortly afterwards.

Nvidia is also working on a 28nm dual Kepler card, which we can expect to see around the same time.

There's no word on pricing yet, but it'll probably join the 6990 in the megabucks £500+ ($796+) bracket.

Although we were impressed by the 6990's performance, the extreme pricing was a big minus point. AMD could make the 7000 series more affordable - but we doubt it.