Nvidia GT 650M GPU & 2.7GHz Ivy Bridge CPU in New MacBook Pro

The big question surrounding the next refresh of the MacBook Pro laptops is whether Apple has opted for a significant redesign or just upgraded the internal spec. There’s increasing evidence to suggest the latter.

A leaked spec sheet last week suggested there is no redesign. Apple is planning to keep the MacBook Pro pretty much the same except for an update to an Ivy Bridge range of processors. Now we have more evidence to suggest that this is the case, but also that Apple has opted to use a Nvidia GeForce GT 650M GPU.

Leaked images have appeared that claim to be shots of the revised 15-inch MacBook Pro components. There’s two things to note in the shots. The first is the use of the new Nvidia GPU, but also that the layout of the board is very similar to the existing MacBook Pro. If the shots are real, it confirms Apple isn’t messing with the overall design of the laptop too much.

What Apple will offer is a new range of MacBook Pros with some serious performance on offer. Intel Ivy Bridge processors including 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, and custom 2.7GHz parts will be coupled with a GeForce GT 650M GPU using 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory.

These Pros certainly won’t struggle running anything the Mac App Store or Steam has to offer. All we need now is confirmation from Apple, which could happen as early as today if they intend to use WWDC to make the refresh announcement.

Source: Geek

Tags: Apple, Intel, Ivy Bridge, Laptop, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, Notebook, Nvdia

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Wikipad World's First Gaming Tablet Using Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad Core Chip

Wednesday during E3 2012, Wikipad said it has selected Nvidia's Tegra 3 quad-core SoC as the brains behind the world's first gaming tablet.

The portable gaming gadget is currently on display at select Nvidia and Gaikai locations at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It features Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich," a 10.1-inch screen, a thickness of 8.6-mm, a gamepad-like attachment, and the preloaded Nvidia TegraZone which offers games optimized for Tegra and game controller support.

"By adding Nvidia’s Tegra 3 processor to the Wikipad, we’ve combined the best of tablet and console gaming into one device that fits in the palms of your hands," said Fraser Townley, President of Sales for Wikipad. "Tegra 3 opens up incredible content options including optimized mobile games and console-quality streaming games through new cloud gaming services."

The Wikipad tablet first made its appearance back in January during CES 2012. Still in a prototype stage, it was touted as the first glasses-free 3D Android 4.0-based tablet with an attachable video game controller. Analog sticks resided on each side, and a D-pad was mounted on the left and four action buttons seated to the right. A set of speakers were embedded into the controller at the bottom and shoulder triggers at the top.

Then last month Gaikai announced that it teamed up with Wikipad to help produce the upcoming tablet. Gaikai will provide a client that will be integrated into the tablet's OS, streaming console-quality titles right to the user's fingertips. Details regarding the client are slim for the moment, but it's assumed that users will be able to purchase individual games from a Wikipad storefront -- whether these games can be played on other devices is unknown.

The tablet is supposedly capable of glasses-free 3D and 1080p playback including H.264, VC1, VOB, ISO, M2TS, and FLV. Other features include HDMI and USB 2.0 ports, front and rear cameras, 8 GB of on-board storage and an SD card slot for an additional 64 GB of space. Wi-Fi will be the connection of choice although a USB 2.0 port indicates that an optional 3G module may be available.

The Wikipad launch date is set for the end of the 3rd Quarter, 2012 through major retailers worldwide. Will this tablet be successful and take gamers by storm, or become another Xperia PLAY?

Source: Tomshardware

Tags: Tablet, Gaming Table, Nvdia, Nvida Tegra 3, Wikipad

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Four pillars of Kepler GPU Power Describes By NVIDIA

This week NVIDIA demonstrated the power of their Kepler GPU in its future iterations in an investor call covering both desktop and mobile computing. The three different elements that focus the power of NVIDIA’s Kepler GPU were listed as SMX, Hyper-Q, and Dynamic Parallelism, each of these explained in brief, and two relatively new products were reintroduced: Tesla K10 and Tesla K20, the first available now, the second available in the forth quarter of 2012.

In the slide you see above, the four pillars of Kepler are shown and we shown by NVIDIA as such. SMX is Kepler delivered at three times the performance of the current computing market. Hyper-Q improves the utilization of the GPU, multiple threads at once. Dynamic Parallelism allows developers to use the GPU much easier than ever before and broadens the capabilities that can be utilized on the GPU. All of these technologies are used on Kepler which is part of NVIDIA’s intensely quickly growing market which, shown here, is gaining new giant customers all the time:


NVIDIA is presenting this week to investors on what their business is doing in both the mobile and the desktop world.

Source: Slashgear

Tags: Nvdia, Nvdia Keplar, Graphic Cards

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Nvidia Introduces World's First Virtualized GPU Technology

Five years in the making, Nvidia's virtualized the GPU to bring you graphical power on your VDI. 


Cloud was a big topic at Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference, which wasn't unexpected given the focus of GPUs in servers and enterprise applications.


At a keynote speech, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announced the fruit of the company's five-year-long effort in creating the world's first virtualized GPU, dubbed the VGX platform, which enables IT departments to deliver a virtualized desktop with the graphics and GPU computing performance of a PC or workstation to employees using any connected device.


While virtualized CPU computing is commonplace today, Nvidia VGX enables workers for the first time to access a GPU-accelerated desktop similar to a traditional local PC, which is hugely advantageous for 3D design and simulation tools – applications which had previously been too intensive for a virtualized desktop.


Nvidia also pitched the VGX platform as a solution for enterprise IT departments to address the complex challenges of "BYOD" – or bring your own device to work. It delivers a remote desktop to these devices, providing users the same access they have on their desktop terminal. 


At the same time, it helps reduce overall IT spend, improve data security and minimize data center complexity. The Nvidia VGX hardware is designed for hosting large numbers of users in an energy-efficient way. 


The first of such VGX board packs four GPUs, 16 GB of memory, 4 GB of frame buffer, and fits into the industry-standard PCI Express interface in servers. Perhaps even better is that the VGX boards are designed to be passively cooled.


On the software side is the GPU Hypervisor, a software layer that integrates into commercial hypervisors, such as the Citrix XenServer, enabling virtualization of the GPU. The VGX package also features Nvidia User Selectable Machines (USMs). 


This manageability option allows enterprises to configure the graphics capabilities delivered to individual users in the network based on their demands. Up to 100 users can be served from a single server powered by one VGX board, which Nvidia says will improve user density on a single server compared with traditional virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions.


Source: Tomsitpro

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Apple MacBook Pro to Feature Both Ivy Bridge & Nvidia Chips

A few days ago, MacBook Pro rumor-hunters got a breakthrough when several details of the new MacBook Pro (or MacBook Pro 2012) were leaked, including Retina Display, Intel Ivy Bridge chipset, USB 3.0 and a thinner design due to the lack of a CD/DVD drive.

Now most of these leaked specs you may have known about for the past few weeks, but nonetheless it was nice to see all these specs listed in one article.

Now we’ve got more information on the laptop everybody seems to be talking about these days. Apparently, the new MacBook Pro will run on both Ivy Bridge and Nvidia chips. Intel, of course, will be behind the processor of the next-gen MacBook Pro, while Nvidia will take care of the graphics. Ivy Bridge is, in fact, an unusual turn for Apple, which has previously relied on AMD processors for under-the-hood power.

As for Nvidia, their GeForce GT650M graphics card should fuel the new MacBook Pro’s graphics, and we’re guessing it’s going to be a good deal better than the previous GT640M. As we mentioned above, the previous batch of MacBook Pro rumors pointed towards Retina Display. Retina Display, of course, will make images on the new MacBook Pro even more awe-inspiring to look at.

As the new laptop will run on OS X Mountain Lion, users can manipulate display size and quality without having to scratch their heads. Apparently, users simply have to choose from “big”, “small” or “optimal” instead of twiddling dials or struggling to find the right resolution size or quality.

We’re expecting the new MacBook Pro to be unveiled at WWDC 2012, to be held on June 11, so let’s hope the rumors keep coming. Be sure, though, to take ‘em all with a grain of salt until we hear it from Apple themselves.

Source: Easternmorningherald

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ASUS Zenbook UX32VD: Ivy Bridge and discrete NVIDIA GPU

While ASUS may be pushing ahead with Ultrabooks and the extremely appetising Zenbook Prime, it looks like it will be pushing out a couple of different models. Netbook News went hands-on with the Zenbook UX32VD at a press event in Taipei.

The new model isn’t as svelte as the Zenbook Prime thanks to the inclusion of a regular HDD, but it makes up for it in other areas.

The option is there for the Ultrabook to have a 1080p IPS display, and will feature Intel’s new Ivy Bridge mobile chipset. On top of that, ASUS has decided not to leave the Ultrabook to the HD 4000 integrated GPU, instead adding NVIDIA’s discrete GT620M chip for a little more power. You don’t get an SSD, which increases thickness as a result, but roomy 500GB HDD should keep you going.

All the models are said to come with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM, and will naturally be slightly thicker than the Zenbook Primes. The design is otherwise the same, with the spun aluminium and chiclet keyboard design. The UX32VD also has an additional USB 3.0 port, and full size HDMI rather than the mini HDMI found on its current Ultrabooks.

ASUS say that the UX32VD will be more competitively priced than the Zenbook Primes, which are tipped to cost around $1,000. Netbook News has a hands-on video of the UX32VD, so take a peep below for a bit more info.


Source: Slashgear

Tags: Ivy Bridge, Laptop, Asus, Nvdia

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MSI Launches its Most Powerful Graphics Card, the GeForce GTX 690

Graphics card and mainboard manufacturer, Micro-Star International (MSI), has launched its most powerful graphics card, the GeForce GTX 690, adopting dual GeForce GTX 600 GPUs with 3072 CUDA Cores and 4 GB/512bits GDDR5 memory.

Dual GPUs Provide Double Performance

MSI GeForce GTX 690 graphics card is equipped with dual 28 nm GeForce GTX 680 GPUs with 3072 CUDA Cores (1536units x2) and 4 GB/512bits (256bits x2) GDDR5 memory, supports the latest PCI Express Gen 3 standard and DirectX 11 technology delivering the most powerful performance on earth. Through Quad SLI technology, the ultimate performance of dual graphics cards can definitely satisfy the demands of any enthusiast gamer.

Power Limit Control by Afterburner

The MSI GeForce GTX 680 graphics card supports Nvidia's GPU Boost technology that allows the core clock to be adjusted on the fly for optimal gaming performance. When used with MSI's Afterburner overclocking utility, gamers can control the power limit and clock offset for better overclocking capability. The card is also equipped with advanced fans speed control based on GPU temperature.

Afterburner supports the free video/audio capturing function Predator and can even use smart phones to control the graphics card in desktop machines. When combined with the Kombustor burn-in testing function, it is an indispensable tool for enthusiasts looking to get the most out of their graphics card.

Run 3DVision Surround with a Single Card

MSI GeForce GTX 690 graphics card features three dual-link DVI and one mini DisplayPort connector. With just one GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, users can experience vivid 3D games with 3D glasses and use three 120 Hz monitors through advanced 3DVision Surround technology from Nvidia.

Additionally, support for up to four displays driven by one graphics card allows gamers to make the most of multiple-monitor gaming configurations.

Tags: MSI, Graphic Cards, Nvdia, GeForce GTX 690

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NVIDIA Prepares Two More GK104-based cards - GeForce GTX 660 Ti and 670

The word on the street was that NVIDIA worked on GTX 680 and GTX 690 since third quarter of 2012, and once the work was done on the GTX 680 - the company pulled no stops to make GTX 690 the highest performing single slot dual-GPU card. However, even with high yield of fully enabled GK104 chips enabling the launch of GTX 680 (which are in constant shortage sans one AIB that allegedly has an exclusive deal for some markets), there is a lot of 3.5 billion transistor chips which aren't performing up to par.

In order to address those chips, NVIDIA will launch not one, but two cut-down versions of the GK104 chip: the Geforce GTX 660 (or 660 Ti) and GTX 670 (or 670 Ti). According to WCCFTech, the GK104-335-A2 will power the GTX 670, while GTX 660 may be powered by another revision. Given the way NVIDIA labels the GPUs, we would not be surprised if some of NV partners are in a lot of hot water, since NVIDIA typically uses three-number customer codes (GX1XX-XXX-AX).

GeForce GTX 670 should feature 1344 CUDA cores, same uncut 256-bit memory controller and paltry 2GB GDDR5 memory. The clocks should be set at around 915-950MHz for the GPU, and 1.25GHz QDR for video memory, resulting in 156GB/s of video memory bandwidth. Estimated price for the part should be around $399-429, going head to head against the Radeon HD 7950.

GeForce GTX 660 would be a different bird, with no less than whole GPC (Graphics Processing Cluster) disabled , resulting with 1152 CUDA codes. Memory bus would be cut to 192-bit, meaning again - the odd combination of either 768MB or 1.5GB. Given that it's 2012, we don't see anyone launching a product with 768MB of video memory. This part should go for $199-249, targeting AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series (Pitcairn GPUs).

The pricing structure would leave a pretty large hole between $249 and $399, but so is the performance difference between the two. That room is left to the partners to come up with overclocked cards, liquid cooled products, multiple memory configurations etc. According to our sources, don't expect GK107 to come to desktop anytime soon - all the allocated volume goes into laptops and Ultrabooks.

NVIDIA pricing structure (for now), should look as follows:

• $999 - GTX 690 4GB
• $579 - GTX 680 4GB OC (Preferred AIB Pricing)
• $499 - GTX 680 2GB
• $479 - GTX 670 4GB (Preferred AIB Pricing)
• $399 - GTX 670 2GB
• $249 - GTX 660 (Ti?) 1.5GB

Products are expected to be formally announced next week, with mass availability and custom designs by Computex Taipei 2012, which is scheduled to take place between June 5-9 at World Trade Center and Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei, Taiwan.

Source: Vrzone

Tags: Nvdia, Graphic Cards

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Nvidia Announces GeForce GTX 690 Dual-GPU Video Card For $1000 bucks

Delivering the keynote address at the GeForce LAN/Nvidia Game Festival in Shanghai, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announced the company's news video card, the GeForce GTX 690.

The latest card from the company to use dual GPUs (following the GTX 590, which was released last year), the GTX 690 utilizes the new 28nm Kepler architecture Nvidia introduced on the GTX 680 last month.

Huang claimed that the GTX 690 had been "designed from the ground up to deliver the highest performance of any graphics card in history. This particular graphics card we paid special attention to every single detail so that we could deliver the highest thermals, the highest acoustics, and the highest electrical performance with this particular design."

Foremost among the GTX 690's specs are 3,072 CUDA parallel processing cores, which means the card offers essentially the performance of two GTX 680s, although according to Nvidia the GTX 690 will actually run quieter and with better power efficiency than two GTX 680 cards connected in an SLI configuration. The card would contain 4GB of 6GHz GDDR5 RAM, and support all the other features found on the GTX 680 (such as GPU Boost, which is a style of automatic overclocking similar to the Turbo Boost and Turbo Core on Intel and AMD's CPUs respectively).

Nvidia touted the revamped design of the GTX 690, which includes an exterior frame of trivalent chromium-plated aluminum, which Nvidia says provides excellent strength and durability; a new fan housing constructed from a thixomolded magnesium alloy, for improved heat dissipation and vibration dampening; high-efficiency power delivery thanks to the use of a ten-phase power supply and a ten-layer, two-ounce copper printed circuit board (PCB); dual vapor chambers, nickel-plated fins, and an optimized center-mounted axial fan (which Huang bragged spins at 3,000rpm) for cooling; and low-profile components and ducted baseplate channels that reduce airflow obstruction to improve the card's acoustics.
The GTX 690 will be available "in limited quantities" starting May 3, and move to a wider distribution from Nvidia's usual add-in card partners (Asus, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, and others) on May 7. Pricing for the GTX 690 is $999 list.

Source: PCmag

Tags: Nvdia, Graphic Cards, GeForce GTX 690

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Nvidia: Smartphone graphics to best Xbox 360 by 2014

On Thursday Nvidia released a slide showing the progression of GPU performance in the console, PC and mobile sectors from 2001 to 2014. As Nvidia showed us last year, consoles have created a "Z" on the chart, jumping up one level after releasing a new version with better hardware, but flatlining for numerous years thereafter. They can outperform the PC on a graphic level thanks to an integrated design, but that victory is only brief to say the least as PC hardware performance steadily climbs.

What's shocking is the steep increase in GPU performance in the mobile sector. According to Nvidia's chart, devices began to show a real increase between 2008 and 2009, but the steepest climb thus far has been from 2010 until now. What's interesting is that Nvidia's chart shows the mobile GPU to be cranking out better graphics than the current Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles starting 2013. That says a lot given that smartphones weren't even considered as competition until Apple released the iPhone in 2007.

To some degree, smartphones are in a "golden era," mirroring a similar era experienced in the 1990s when GPUs began to infiltrate the PC sector. Developers like id Software and Epic Games were always pushing the envelope, squeezing out every ounce of performance the current hardware could provide while also pushing hardware manufacturers to implement features into the next generation. We're seeing that again in the mobile sector, and it's downright fascinating to watch this technology mature so quickly.

On a visual level, the progression has been phenomenal. We've moved from monochrome Tetris-like games to console-quality titles like Modern Combat 3 in a span of a few years. The rise in visual performance wasn't quite so dramatic in the PC sector, moving from the likes of Wolfenstein 3D in 1992 (PC, Mac) to Return to Castle Wolfenstein in 2001 (PC, Mac, Xbox, PS2).

Naturally Nvidia's chart will change once Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo release their next-generation products. Reports indicate that the Wii U will likely reside with the current crop on a GPU level while the other two take another stab at pushing past PC-based GPU performance. Yet based on the sharp rise in the mobile sector, it looks highly likely that the console and mobile sectors will eventually merge. Today's top mobile chips are already on the same playing field as the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita, if not better.

Source:Tomshardware

Tags: Nvdia, Nvida Tegra 3, Processor, Smartphone

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NVIDIA Tegra 4 roadmap leaks with 2.0 GHz quad-core

NVIDIA’s current flagship Tegra 3 quad-core processor is the current king of the hill, getting all the attention as of late. While we’ve been comparing it to other offerings from the competition a new slide has leaked today possibly showing off their new Tegra 4 coming later this year. The current Tegra 3 is still new, but they’ve already got the next big thing in the works.

NVIDIA’s CEO himself has said we can expect a new Tegra line every year, and that appears to be the case according to the leaked slide provided by VR-Zone. What you see below is possibly a roadmap showing what’s in store from the folks in green. With 2.0 GHz quad-core processors, LTE and more on the way.

With Tegra 3 still being in its infancy we should probably take this with a grain of salt, but the specs and timeline seems pretty accurate and highly possible. The current Tegra 3 is made up of four A9 processors and it only makes sense for the next iteration to be the A15, similar to the Qualcomm S4 and Samsung’s upcoming Exynos.

While NVIDIA’s plans for late 2012 and early 2013 is still a mystery and will not be official until they release the details themselves, this roadmap could be giving us an early look. Take notice this shows LTE versions coming pretty late in the game. We hope they have something sooner than that but you never know. We’ll let you be the judge.

Source:Engadget

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Budget-Priced Tablets with Tegra 3 CPU Due in 2012, Says Nvidia

Apple’s newest tablet computer, simply called the New iPad, has been available for purchase in most major markets for the past few weeks, and for the most part, it’s so far, so good.

Sales have been impressive, perhaps enough to ensure the Cupertino, CA tech giant’s continued dominance of the tablet market. But what about the budget tablet market, which is presently considered the most formidable threat against Apple’s iPad series?

According to Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of Nvidia, there will be a few inexpensive tablets with the Tegra CPU coming in the summer of 2012.

For those who aren’t in the know, this is news that Apple shouldn’t be taking lightly, especially since Huang believes there will be a good chance these tablets will cost about $199 or so. If these tablets don’t eventually usurp Apple’s share of the market as a company, then they just might help Android as an operating system take over the lead from Apple’s iOS.

Indeed, it looks like there’s no better time for low-priced tablets to shine. The Amazon Kindle Fire, for instance, skyrocketed to second in tablet sales charts last year, boasting of a dirt-cheap $199 price tag and a wealth of unique features. Some analysts are, in fact, predicting budget tablets may have control of the tablet market in about two to three years time.

Additionally, Huang did mention that there is a chance the Tegra 3 CPU may be used on a Windows 8-powered tablet. The forthcoming Windows 8 operating system has also been pinpointed as a potential threat to iOS.

This should make for some fascinating possibilities, even as Tegra chips are exclusively used at the present on Android operating systems.

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NVIDIA CEO suggests $199 Tegra 3 tablets in the summer

Always talkative NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is in the news yet again, this time telling the New York Times that his company's Tegra 3 hardware is incorporating enough cost saving that it could be in $199 Android tablets by this summer -- beating his previous $299 promise.

Beyond the tantalizing thought of value-priced tablets with the horsepower of the Transformer Prime (perfect for that rumored price subsidized, ASUS-built and Google-branded slate, right?) there's also a shout out Tegra-powered Windows 8 slates and Sony's unannounced VAIO Chromebook that popped through the FCC. The NYT suggests its T25 chip could stand for Tegra 2.5 with a debut planned for Google I/O in June -- we'll find out then if this is misguided line drawing or a very educated guess.

Source:engadget

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 600M GPUs bring Kepler to ultrabooks

It’s not just desktops that get NVIDIA‘s new Kepler 28nm GPU in the shape of the GeForce GTX 680; notebooks can also get a shot of that extra graphics grunt, courtesy of the new GT 600M family. NVIDIA’s new range of laptop GPUs will debut in the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3, with a seven-strong range of chips promising anything from 48 to 384 CUDA cores, up to 64 GB/sec memory bandwidth, and double the gaming frame-rates of last year’s GT 520M-based notebooks.

Meanwhile performance compared to integrated graphics is up to a tenfold improvement, NVIDIA claims, despite no huge impact on battery life. The Acer ultrabook, for instance, will run for up to 8hrs despite toasting 500M-series based notebooks like Alienware’s M15x.

Games can thus run at higher frame-rates, or they can match the old GPUs and invest power in greater detail to the graphics. There’s support for DirectX 11 tessellation, hardware PhysX, NVIDIA Control Panel Ambient Occlusion, NVIDIA Control Panel FXAA, and NVIDIA 3D Vision, while those who do plenty of image processing can expect roughly half the crunching time in popular apps like Adobe Photoshop and vReveal.

Meanwhile, NVIDIA is promising day-of-launch availability of game-specific drivers so that eager players can get the very best performance from the get-go. Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba are all signed up to use the new GT 600M GPUs, with first availability “soon” according to NVIDIA.

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