Tesla Motors Hires Peter Bannon of Apple

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

He is highly skilled in processor design, and he moved to a company that does not design processors. Kind of weird, right? There are two possibilities ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1XX2oV2
via IFTTT

Raspberry PI 3 goes on sale in Australia

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The foundation says the new 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU offers 10 times the performance of the processor on the original Pi.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1VNQLhJ
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 offers 64-Bit CPU, WiFi, BT 4.1 for $35, Microsoft updates Windows 10 IoT Core

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Raspberry Pi 3 is now on sale for $35 featuring 64-bit quad-core CPU, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1. ... 3 Model B impresses with its specifications, which speaks of a 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, 1 GB of ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Se7ICS
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 Launches For $35 With 1.2GHz 64-bit Quad-Core CPU

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The official Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced a new addition to their range of Raspberry Pi mini PCs with the launch of the Raspberry Pi 3 ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1LrgrjI
via IFTTT

No Snapdragon 820 powered LG G5 for Latin America, packs a Snapdragon 652 instead

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Consumers certainly shouldn't have cause to complain about CPU ... Will the change to the processor specifications make you think twice about ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1ncxAlD
via IFTTT

Intel G3258 CPU Processor

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Used Intel G3258 CPU Processor Works Great, replacing because I upgraded to I5. 25$ Thanks, Christian.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RAcmsS
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 Launches With Quad-Core Cortex-A53 CPU, Built-In Wi-Fi And Bluetooth 4.1

http://ift.tt/1nbCgbr

The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced its third-generation IoT development board, the Raspberry Pi 3, which brings a quad-core ARMv8-A 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, as well as built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.

from News Tom's Hardware http://ift.tt/1TKSkxI
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 launches with faster 64-bit processor and Wi-Fi for the same $35

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Over the past four years, the Raspberry Pi has become known as the world's most successful and accessible computer platform that anyone can ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1oSOYhg
via IFTTT

Supercharged Raspberry Pi 3 adds Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more speed, but still costs $35

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Also new is a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU, which runs at 1.2GHz. The processor is used in mobile devices and even servers, and is a big ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1VMMgnH
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 now available for $35 (WiFi, Bluetooth, and 64-bit CPU)

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is a $35 computer with a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core, 64-bit processor, built-in 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1ThoySZ
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 now available for $35 (WiFi, Bluetooth, and 64-bit CPU)

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is a $35 computer with a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core, 64-bit processor, built-in 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1ThoySZ
via IFTTT

Faster Raspberry Pi 3 available with 64-bit processor, Wi-Fi

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Raspberry Pi is now shipping the Raspberry Pi 3 computer, which at the same $35 price as its Pi 2 predecessor packs a more powerful 64-bit CPU, ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RzzJCN
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro Coming Soon with Snapdragon 652 CPU, 4GB RAM

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Once again, the Galaxy A9 Pro is confirmed to come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, coupled with an Adreno 510 graphics ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1ThoySN
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 Now At Sale At Less Than The Price Of A Computer Hard Drive

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

A 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU (Delivering up to 10 ... to the company, is based on a multi-threaded CPU benchmark like SysBench. ... architectural enhancements, the processor is able to deliver between 50-60 ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RzzJCJ
via IFTTT

64-bit Raspberry Pi 3 launched and available

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The new processor from Broadcom is the BCM2837, which keeps the same basic ... The BCM2836 keeps the same GPU core but replaces the ARMv6 CPU ... However with the new CPU cores plus other architectural enhancements, ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1ThozX0
via IFTTT

Pi goes 64-bit

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Raspberry Pi 3, which goes on sale today, has an 64-bit processor and integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It costs $35.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RzzJCH
via IFTTT

AMD Zen: A serious challenge to Intel?

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) processors have long lived in the shadow of rival Intel processors, especially when it comes to performance. Since the release ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1naRNIJ
via IFTTT

LG G5 Downgraded in Some Countries, Comes with Snapdragon 652 CPU, 3GB RAM

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

While the device announced at MWC 2016 comes equipped with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, the Latin American model ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1TKbG6a
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 review (hands on): New Pi has built-in Wi-Fi and faster processor

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

... 1.2GHz quad-core Broadcom BCM2837RIFBG SoC based on ARM's Cortex-A53 CPU architecture. The Raspberry Pi 2's processor was a 900MHz ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/21D1FKO
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 With 64-Bit CPU, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi Launched at $35

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Some of the highlights of the Raspberry Pi 3 include a 1.2GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor which the company says has 10x performance of ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/21vd96i
via IFTTT

Pi goes 64-bit

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Raspberry Pi 3, which goes on sale today, has an 64-bit processor and integrated WiFI and Bluetooth. It costs $35.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/21D1FKF
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 Officially Released, Ten Times More Powerful than Original Model

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The biggest news regarding Raspberry Pi 3 is probably the new processor, which is a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU. The makers of ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1SbI5To
via IFTTT

Faster Raspberry Pi 3 available for $35 with 64-bit processor, Wi-Fi

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It is now shipping the Raspberry Pi 3 computer, which at the same US$35 price as its Pi 2 predecessor packs a more powerful 64-bit CPU, and for the ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RzfJ3e
via IFTTT

Qualcomm Takes the Spotlight at MWC 2016 with Snapdragon 820, but Samsung Wins

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Qualcomm had a pretty rough 2015, as the chipmaker's top-of-the-line processor, the Snapdragon 810, was affected by overheating issues that were ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Th6F6P
via IFTTT

Faster Raspberry Pi 3 available for $35 with 64-bit processor, Wi-Fi

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It is now shipping the Raspberry Pi 3 computer, which at the same US$35 ... The processor is used in mobile devices and even servers, and is a big ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RzaH6T
via IFTTT

Raspberry Pi 3 has a 64-bit processor and built-in WiFi

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Gone is the 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU, replaced with a quad-core 64-bit 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A53 chip that is roughly 50 percent faster ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Th6F6N
via IFTTT

Computer jargon explained...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

CPU/Processor – Central Processing Unit of the computer. The CPU manages the instructions it receives from hardware and software running on the ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RcfxUV
via IFTTT

Dell Precision 670 Copper Processor CPU Heat Sink F3543

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Dell Precision 670 Copper Processor CPU Heat Sink F3543 in perfect condition. includes plastic clips to attach $5 cash.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1phc4Os
via IFTTT

Pentium? Core i5? Core i7? Making sense of Intel's convoluted CPU lineup

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Our creative director Aurich Lawson is building a PC to power a custom arcade cabinet, and he was having trouble picking a processor. Not because ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/21zprXU
via IFTTT

Zopo Speed 8 news and release update: Zopo Speed 8 launches at MWC with 10-core processor

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The Zopo Speed 8 is carrying the world's first 10-core mobile processor, the MediaTek Helio X20. It is said to be the first deca-core mobile CPU out.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Qk4gp9
via IFTTT

Oppo A30 with Snapdragon 800 CPU, 3GB RAM Coming Soon for $300

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

For example, the A30 is powered by a 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, coupled with an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1LlaV24
via IFTTT

Intel Focuses on Strengthening Authentication on Windows Machines

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Intel, whose processors are in an estimated 90 percent of all commercial Windows PCs, is now in the early stages of rolling out a new capability that'll ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1QNhMUg
via IFTTT

Apple Watch 2 release date, design and specs rumors: Will Apple Watch 2 have an ARM Cortex ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

ARM has revealed a brand new design for an ultra-tiny CPU built ... The Cortex-A32 processor integrates new power management features compared ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1UpPaAb
via IFTTT

New Mi5 To Hit The Global Market Including India And China

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The Snapdragon 820 is certainly something to look out for as it uses Qualcomm's custom designed CPU cores. This processor makes the device fast ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1UpHhe9
via IFTTT

Lenovo ThinkPad T430s CPU Processor:Intel Core i7-3520M 2.9GHz Memory

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Lenovo ThinkPad T430s CPU Processor:Intel Core i7-3520M 2.9GHz Memory :8GB DDR3 HDD :500GB SATA Optical Drive:DVD-RW Network ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1oNN8hr
via IFTTT

Save More Than $200 on 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

With a quad-core Intel processor, a solid-state drive, and up to eight hours ... Inside, this configuration sports a quad-core 1.6GHz Intel Pentium CPU, ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1S6cdzj
via IFTTT

Navaids updates

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The new E5000 processor generation includes two independently operating quad core CPUs, and dual monitor outputs to drive two displays with ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1QKnyWM
via IFTTT

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 cpu processor

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 SLGW3 processor. Processor Number E7400 # of Cores 2 Processor Base Frequency 2.8 GHz L2 Cache 3 MB FSB Speed ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1TIfPsv
via IFTTT

Kinjal Dave blog: Embedded systems is a whole new ball game now

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This is a guest blog by Kinjal Dave, CPU Product Manager at ARM. ... The majority of embedded products based on Cortex-A processors run full virtual ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1XPxDkK
via IFTTT

The Week In Review: Design/IoT

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

ARM unveiled the Cortex-A32, a 32-bit processor built on the ARMv8-A ... Use cases thus far target SoCs where the HiFi DSP is the main processor and ... flexible run-modes, autonomous operations when the CPU is not active and ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1R6kNJD
via IFTTT

AMD doomed to hit new lows

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

What is a bigger worry is that the in the PC processor market, AMD's gap ... Samsung/Globalfoundries for its upcoming Zen CPUs and Polaris GPUs.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1LJ76yw
via IFTTT

Acer Predator 17 Gaming Laptop Review

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

With a sixth-generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ quad-core Skylake processor, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, an Nvidia GTX 980M graphics card, and 512GB of ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1S4N3RS
via IFTTT

AMD Athlon 64 1.6Hz Single Core Desktop CPU Processor AM2 ADG2650IAV4D

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

AMD Athlon 64 1.6Hz Single Core Desktop CPU Processor AM2 ADG2650IAV4DP.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1QARHSb
via IFTTT

Price Check: Price Gap Between DDR3 and DDR4 Memory Almost Gone

http://ift.tt/1Lgk8si

Around a year ago DRAM manufacturers ended up pinning a lot of their hopes on DDR4 as a way to improve their profit margins. In the cutthroat and highly cyclical DRAM industry, the launch of DDR4-capable systems was seen as encouraging new sales while also serving as an opportunity to sell DRAM with higher margins, owing to the at the time substantial price premium over DDR3. Today however, the difference between prices of DDR3 and DDR4 memory is almost negligible and soon it will likely disappear entirely. What is even more important is that DRAM in general is getting cheaper, which is good for the end-user, but is not necessarily good for companies like Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix.

Prices of DRAM Memory Chips Are Down Again

The average price of one 4 Gb DDR4-2133 memory chip was $1.814 on Taiwanese spot market in late-February, according to DRAMeXchange, one of the world’s leading DRAM and NAND market trackers. This month was the first time when the spot price of one 4Gb DDR4 memory IC dropped below $2. In late December, 2015, a DDR4-2133 chip was priced at $2.221, while in late June, 2015, a similar IC cost $3.618. Overall, one DDR4-2133 chip became 18.4% cheaper in about two months and lost nearly 50% of its price in about eight months. Meanwhile the contract price of one 4 Gb DDR4 chip was $1.63 in the second half of January.

Spot prices of DDR3 memory are also dropping. One 4 Gb DDR3-1600 chip currently costs $1.807 in Taiwan, down from $1.878 in December and $2.658 in late June, 2015. It is clear that the price of DDR3 memory ICs is decreasing slower than the price of DDR4 DRAMs - leading to the impending DDR3/DDR4 price crossover point - but the trend is obvious: memory is getting cheaper. Contract price of one 4 Gb DDR3 IC was $1.59 in the second half of January.

Low prices of DRAM chips naturally influence the pricing of actual memory modules. The price of one 4 GB DDR4-2133 SO-DIMM dropped to $15.50 in the second half of January (down from $18 in December, 2015), whereas the price of one 4 GB DDR3-1600 SO-DIMM decreased to $15.25 (down from $16.75 in December, 2015).

The gap between prices of 4 Gb DDR4 and DDR3 memory ICs on the spot market is now about 5.3%, leaving DDR4 just a little more expensive than its predecessor. However, if we look at the contract price of two different 4 Gb chips, we will see that one 4 Gb DDR4 IC is an even narrower 2.5% more expensive than one 4 Gb DDR3 device. Moreover, contract prices of actual DDR4 and DDR3 4 GB DIMMs, which are used today by a lot of PC makers, are nearly the same (DDR4 is about 1.63% higher, but that is insignificant).

Retail Prices of DDR4 Modules Continue to Decline

It is evident that despite Chinese New Year, a holiday that traditionally drives prices of computer hardware a little bit up because of increased demand and paused production in China, prices of DDR4 DRAM chips and modules are still falling. Let’s take a look how that affects actual retail prices of various DDR4 and DDR3 kits in the U.S.

We'll start things off with Kingston’s HyperX Fury Black DDR4-2133/CL14 2x8 GB kit (HX421C14FBK2/16), a pretty typical enthusiast-class memory module set. Such modules are used by both DIYers and system integrators, hence, their prices give us a good idea about where the market is going. Right now, Kingston's kit runs for $69.94 from Amazon, according to CamelCamelCamel, which tracks prices of various items at Amazon and its partners. Just about two months ago the same DDR4-2133 HyperX Fury Black 2x8GB kit was priced at $108.99, which means that it has become 33.9% cheaper in a relatively short period of time.

Buy HyperX FURY 16GB Kit DDR4-2133 C14 on Amazon.com

Since many people these days can build relatively affordable Haswell or Skylake-based PCs, it makes sense to see how much entry-level DDR3L modules cost. Kingston introduced its HyperX Fury Low Voltage 16 GB (2*8 GB) kit (HX318LC11FBK2/16) rated to run at DDR3-1866 frequency with CL11 latency back in October at MSRP of around $96. Today, this kit costs $83.09 at Amazon.

Buy HyperX 16GB DDR3L-1866 on Amazon.com

If you are willing to take some risk and use DDR3 instead of DDR3L with Skylake, there is Kingston’s HyperX Fury Black 2x8 GB DDR3-1866/CL10 kit (HX318C10FBK2/16) available for $68.58, down from around $80 in December, 2015. Kingston also offers HyperX Savage Red 2x8 GB kit (HX321C11SRK2/16) that works in DDR3-2133 mode with faster CL11 12-12 sub-timings. The kit is available for $94.29 at Amazon and its price has not significantly changed in roughly the last half-year.

Buy HyperX 16GB DDR3-1866 C10 on Amazon.com

Meanwhile G.Skill’s enthusiast-class Ripjaws V DDR4-3200/CL16 2*8 GB kit (F4-3200C16D-16GVK) currently runs for $107.14 from an Amazon partner. The initial price of this Ripjaws V kit in the U.S. was $176.64 when it first hit the market in November, but it quickly dropped to $136.59 in December, knocking 22% off of its price.

Buy G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200 2x8GB on Amazon.com

At the top-end of the performance spectrum, G.Skill’s blazing-fast TridentZ DDR4-4266/CL19 2*4 GB kit (F4-4266C19D-8GTZ) is available from an Amazon partner for $361.22 not including shipping, which is down from $460 in mid-December, 2015. Despite being a high-priced niche product, even the G.Skill Trident Z DDR-4266 8 GB kit has become around 22% cheaper in a couple of months’ time.

Buy G.Skill Ripjaws Z DDR4-4266 C19 2x4 GB on Amazon.com

High capacity kits have also come down in price as well, though perhaps by not as much as mainstream kits. The Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4-2666/CL15 64 GB kit (CMD64GX4M8A2666C15) was among the first 8x8 GB kits from Corsair, and was specifically designed for high-end desktops running Intel Core i7 Haswell-E processors. When it was introduced in early 2015, it cost $1759.99 at Amazon, and ended the year at $679.99. Today, this kit is priced at $539.99, a further 20.5% drop.

Buy Corsair 8x8GB DDR4-2666 C15 on Amazon.com

In fact, Corsair has quietly introduced a new version of its Dominator Platinum 64 GB DDR4-2666/C15 kit (CMD64GX4M4A2666C15) consisting of 4*16 GB modules in December. The new quad-channel kit for HEDT PCs was initially priced at $631.99, but right now, it can be acquired for $509.99, or 20% below its original December launch price.

Buy Corsair 4x16GB DDR4-2666 C15 on Amazon.com

It is obvious that retail prices of advanced non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 memory modules are dropping even faster than the prices of actual DDR4 DRAM ICs. In the last several months IC costs have continued to drop and volumes increased, while demand for all compute components in the first quarter is usually pretty low, which gives retailers like Amazon and Newegg as well as manufacturers themselves good incentive to decrease prices of their modules in a bid to keep their sales on decent levels.

What is noteworthy is that DDR3-1866 and entry-level DDR4-2133 memory modules (such as Kingston HyperX Fury) today have almost reached pricing parity. Moreover, DDR3L and higher-end DDR3-2133 kits are more expensive than DDR4-2133 kits. While DDR3 has an advantage of lower latency, it will get considerably harder and more expensive to upgrade such platforms in the future after DRAM makers reduce production of previous-generation memory.

DDR4 on Track to Become Dominant PC Memory Standard

The miniscule difference between DDR3 and DDR4 pricing indicates that supply of the latter is ramping up and is getting on par with the former. Meanwhile, due to slow demand for PCs in general and continuing shipments of PCs featuring previous-generation CPUs, demand for DDR4 is lower than supply [citation needed]. Nonetheless, since DDR4 is very affordable already, PC makers will gradually shift to the new type of DRAM. As a result, just as expected by companies like IHS and Intel, DDR4 should become the dominant PC memory standard in about a year from now.

Which is not to say that DDR3 will disappear overnight. Intel’s latest Skylake platforms for desktops and notebooks support DDR4, DDR3L and LPDDR3 memory (except Core M, which only support DDR3L and LPDDR3), hence, PC makers can choose which type to install based on their requirements and prices. The vast majority of advanced desktops and high-performance notebooks featuring Skylake CPUs already utilize DDR4 memory. However, a lot of mainstream desktops and notebooks were designed for DDR3 modules because it used to have a considerable price advantage. Even if the price of DDR4 chips drops below that of DDR3 chips in the next couple of months, it will hardly be worth the effort to redesign motherboards of those PCs to accomodate DDR4. Moreover, many Intel’s partners still sell systems based on CPUs featuring Haswell and Broadwell micro-architectures, which only support DDR3. According to analysts from DRAMeXchange, until PC makers clear-out their previous-generation inventory, they will continue to consume a lot of DDR3. As a result, many PCs will continue to feature the previous-gen DRAM for quite a while.

“DDR3 will still account for a large share of the PC DRAM market during the first half of 2016,” said Avril Wu, a research director at DRAMeXchange. “DDR4’s market share will not expand rapidly until the end of the second quarter, when PC OEMs finished clearing their inventories.”

As Intel ramps up shipments of its Skylake processors, more and more PCs will use DDR4. Since Intel’s code-named Kaby Lake processors are rumoured to arrive only in late 2016 or early 2017, we may see a number of mainstream laptops embracing Skylake CPUs and DDR4 memory this year.

Otherwise, from the standpoint of DRAM manufacturers, DDR4 will become the dominant type of PC-class memory already this year in terms of bits shipments. The server industry started its transition to DDR4 in Q4 2014 along with the launch of Intel Xeon Haswell-EP platform. The majority of new x86 server designs nowadays already use DDR4. Servers utilize considerably higher amounts of memory than notebooks or desktops (i.e., they consume a lot more DRAM bits than PCs), so memory makers have to produce more DDR4 memory to satisfy demands of datacenters. IHS and Intel expect crossover in DDR4 and DDR3 production to happen in 2016 and it seems like they are right in their prediction.

DRAM Supply Exceeds Demand

The impending DDR3/DDR4 crossover is being driven by softer DRAM prices overall, which in turn is a product of weaker DRAM demand and growing inventories. Worldwide PC shipments totaled 71.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015, a minor 2.7% increase from the third quarter and a 10.6% decline compared to the same period in 2014, according to IDC. Sales of tablets reached 65.9 million units in Q4 2015, an increase of 35.3% sequentially, but a 13.7% drop year-over-year, the researchers claim. Meanwhile, shipments of smartphones hit 399.5 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015 (up 12.4% sequentially and 5.7% YoY), setting a new record.

The vast majority of PCs and many inexpensive tablets use commodity DDR3 or DDR4 DRAM, while smartphones use more expensive LPDDR3 or LPDDR4 memory. Even though shipments of PCs and tablets in Q4 were higher than in Q3, actual DRAM industry revenue dropped by 9.1% quarter-over-quarter to $10.27 billion due to oversupply of commodity DRAM products, market analysts claim. By contrast, LPDDR revenue fell by only 1% to $4.499 billion in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter, according to DRAMeXchange.

Part of this drop in demands is of course seasonal, as sales of electronics are typically down in the first half of the year. For example, shipments of notebooks are expected to decline by 20% sequentially, whereas shipments of smartphones are projected to drop by around 16% quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2016. As a result, demand for DRAM is expected to be weak, which is why DRAM prices will remain under pressure. This in turn why we're seeing actual retail prices of memory modules decline faster than the spot/contract prices of DRAM ICs.

“We expect notebook shipments to have a quarterly decline of 20% in the first quarter of 2016 on account of seasonality,” said Mr. Wu. “Therefore, DRAM manufacturers are under pressure to lower contract prices in order to digest inventory.”

Transition to Newer Fabrication Processes Pushes DRAM Prices to New Lows

There are only three major DRAM manufacturers on the planet, but the competition between them remains tough. Nobody wants to cut-down DRAM production because nobody wants to lose market share. Moreover, Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron are aggressively adopting smaller manufacturing technologies to cut down costs. As fabrication processes shrink, so do the sizes of memory cells, increasing bit output per wafer and essentially boosting DRAM output and causing prices to decline further.

Samsung began to transit its DRAM production to 20 nm fabrication technology in Q1 2014 and analysts from DRAMeXchange believe that by now their yields are very high. Meanwhile market observers anticipate Samsung will start producing memory using their 18 nm manufacturing process sometimes in the middle of 2016, which will further increase the total capacity of DRAM on the market. Smartphone manufacturers are already preparing for the jump, and DRAMeXchange claims that Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo have already qualified Samsung’s 12Gb mono-die LPDDR4 ICs made using 18 nm technology.

Opposing Samsung, SK Hynix is gradually increasing their DRAM production using their 21 nm manufacturing technology. While the company’s plans concerning smaller processes are unclear, SK Hynix is ramping up its M14 fab (which was completed in August, 2015), which will eventually have a capacity of 200 thousand wafer starts per month. Even without introducing a new process technology, SK Hynix is increasing output of DRAM by deploying the fab. Moreover, the company has not yet started high volume production of monolithic 8 Gb DDR4 ICs on their 21nm process. Once the company kicks off mass production of such chips, their bit output will increase further and will add pressure on prices.

Finally, Micron started to produce memory chips using their 20 nm fabrication process in early 2015. Late last year the company said that they remained on-track with their conversion plan and yield targets for their 20 nm technology. In fact, according to a slide that Micron demonstrated at its Winter Analyst Conference this month, their 20 nm yields are better than their existing 25 nm yields. The Boise, Idaho-based company hopes that half of their DRAM bit output will be produced at 20nm by mid-2016. The DRAM maker also plans to increase production of high-margin memory products, including 8 Gb DDR4, 8 Gb GDDR5/GDDR5X, and LPDDR4. Micron has also publicized aggressive plans for their 16 nm manufacturing technology. The company’s fabs will be ready to start production of 16nm DRAM by September, which will further increase output provided that yield rate will be high enough.

Otherwise, as prices of commodity 4 Gb DRAM chips are declining, makers of computer memory are now pinning their hopes on LPDDR ICs, server DRAM, and graphics/specialty memory as major profit drivers. Usage of 8 Gb DRAM ICs is also growing in servers and client PCs, so there are opportunities for memory makers to earn money in the short term, however 8 Gb chips will also commoditize over time.

Samsung Remains Top DRAM Manufacturer

Thanks to its aggressive transitions to leading-edge process technologies as well as vast manufacturing capacities, Samsung has been the world’s largest DRAM manufacturer for well over a decade. It is not surprising that the company retained its leading position in Q4 2015.

Samsung’s DRAM revenue for the fourth quarter dropped to $4.762 billion, or by 9.7% sequentially, according to DRAMeXchange. The company commanded 46.4% of the global memory market and is considerably ahead of the world’s second largest DRAM maker, SK Hynix. DRAM sales of the latter declined by 9.3% quarter-over-quarter to $2.865 billion, whereas its market share remained nearly flat at 27.9%. Third place Micron’s DRAM shipments deteriorated by 10.5% and totaled $1.945 billion in Q4 2015. The company’s market revenue share also decreased to 18.9%, the analysts found. By contrast, smaller memory makers (Nanya, Powerchip and Winbond), who controlled 3.7% of DRAM market share in the fourth quarter, managed to slightly increase their shipments and share mostly thanks to specialty and industrial memory.

Samsung also shipped the lion’s share of mobile DRAM in the fourth quarter. The company’s LPDDR revenue totaled $2.619 billion, up 1.3% sequentially. Samsung in turn supplies mobile DRAM to Apple; its own mobile division, the world’s top maker of handsets; as well as rapidly growing suppliers from China.

SK Hynix remained the distant second largest manufacturer of mobile DRAM in the fourth quarter of 2015. The company’s sales of LPDDR fell to $1.175 billion from the previous quarter, whereas its revenue share dropped to 26.1%. SK Hynix is another key supplier of LPDDR4 to Apple, which is why its shipments are still very high. Finally, Micron’s mobile DRAM sales declined by 7.7% in Q4 to $642 million, its market share shrank to 14.3%, according to analysts.

Overall, DRAMeXchange expects LPDDR4 to account for 45% of mobile DRAM shipments this year, up from 18.2% in 2015. Meanwhile usage of 8 Gb DDR4 chips is also expected to increase, and if Samsung manages to kick off 18nm DRAM production in mid-2016, as analysts expect, it may again benefit from the capacity and power advantages of a leading-edge manufacturing process. Micron, in contrast, will only be ready with its 16 nm production technology in Q4 2016, so they won't be able to capitalize on the new process until late in the year.

from AnandTech http://ift.tt/20XzAvi
via IFTTT

HP Envy 13 review

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

N7K53EA) sits between the two, with an Intel Core i7 CPU and a 1080p .... This is a Skylake processor, a dual-core model designed for slim laptops ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1R4C31X
via IFTTT

MSI Rolls-Out CUBI 2 Plus SFF PCs Featuring Intel’s Mini-SFX Platform

http://ift.tt/1R4uBUr

MSI this week introduced its all-new CUBI 2 Plus and CUBI 2 Plus vPro miniature personal computers based on Intel’s mini-STX motherboard form-factor. The new PCs are slightly larger than Intel’s own NUC systems, but they support CPU upgrades and are generally more powerful.

It is not a secret that sales of mainstream desktop computers are stagnating or even declining these days. However, there are two types of desktops, which popularity is actually growing: gaming PCs as well as small form-factor (SFF) systems. To further stimulate demand for miniature computers, Intel in the recent years introduced a number of all-new small form-factors, hoping to improve sales of its microprocessors. Last year the world’s largest maker of CPUs introduced three new types of mini PC designs: Compute Stick, Mini Lake and 5” × 5”. The first two are fully-integrated platforms that cannot be upgraded, they should be produced completely by PC makers or OEMs, which greatly lowers their design flexibility, something that is important for numerous resellers. By contrast, the 5” × 5” platform (which Intel calls mini-STX) features a CPU socket, two SO-DIMM slots, one or two M.2 slots, SATA connectors as well as various I/O ports. For many resellers, the mini-STX platforms should be more preferable than Intel’s NUC because they allow installing different processors, depending on requirements, as well as use inexpensive standard coolers.

MSI is one of the first companies to offer SFF PCs featuring mini-STX form-factor motherboards. The MSI CUBI 2 Plus based on the Intel H110 platform controller hub (PCH) will target mainstream users, whereas the MSI CUBI 2 Plus vPro featuring the Intel Q170 PCH are designed for business and enterprise customers, who will take advantage of Intel’s latest-generation vPro technology with Intel Authenticate feature. The systems can be powered by Intel’s Core i3-6100T, Core i5-6500T or Core i7-6700T processors with 35W TDP and integrated graphics. The systems feature two SO-DIMM slots for up to 32 GB of DDR4-2133 memory, one M.2 slot for a Wi-Fi module, one M.2 for an SSD as well as one SATA port for storage devices.

MSI CUBI 2 Plus Specifications
	CUBI 2 Plus	CUBI 2 Plus vPro
CPU	Intel Core i3-6100T (2 cores, 3.30 GHz, 4 MB LLC) Intel Core i5-6500T (4 cores, 2.5 GHz/3.10 GHz, 6 MB LLC) Intel Core i7-6700T (4 cores with HT, 2.8 GHz/3.6 GHz, 8 MB LLC)
PCH	Intel H110	Intel Q170
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 530 with 24 execution units
Memory	Two SO-DIMM slots, up to 32 GB of DDR4-2133
Storage	One M.2 slot for SSDs One SATA connector for 2.5" SSD or HDD
Wi-Fi	802.11ac + BT 4.0 or 802.11b/g/n
Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet with RJ45 connector
Display Outputs	1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort
Audio	TRRS connector for headset with microphone
USB	1 USB 3.0 type-C (5 Gbps), 2 USB 3.0 type-A (5 Gbps), 4 USB 2.0 (including one with charging capabilities)
Other I/O	SD card reader
Dimensions	155.3 x 147.9 x 58.6 (mm)
PSU	External, 90 W

I/O capabilities of the MSI CUBI 2 Plus PCs are pretty rich: one USB 3.0 type-C (5 Gbps), two USB 3.0 type-A, four USB 2.0 (including one with charging capabilities), one DisplayPort, one HDMI, one Gigabit Ethernet connector. In addition, the system is equipped with one TRRS mini-jack and an SD card reader.

Both versions of the MSI CUBI 2 Plus will use Microsoft Windows 10 Home operating system, which is somewhat strange, given positioning of the version featuring Intel’s vPro technology.

It is interesting to note that at present Intel does not offer Skylake-S CPUs with higher-end integrated graphics. The highest-performing integrated GPU inside Intel’s socketed desktop chips is the HD Graphics 530 with 24 execution units (EUs). Meanwhile, Intel already offers its NUC systems with its Core i7-5557U CPU featuring the Iris 6100 graphics (48 EUs) or the Core i5-6260U with the Iris 540 graphics (48 EUs, 64 MB eDRAM). While such CPUs will offer lower general-purpose performance compared to Intel’s socketed Skylake processors because of lower number of cores and lower clock-rates, their performance in graphics-intensive workloads will be higher. Moreover, Intel also offers mobile CPUs with the Iris Pro 580 graphics (72 EUs, 128 MB eDRAM), which can be integrated into NUCs and rival current-gen Skylake-S chips in all types of workloads. As it turns out, at present it is impossible to get a mini-STX system with proper integrated graphics, which means that if you want to get maximum graphics performance out of an SFF PC, you should wait for Intel's Skull Canyon NUC. While small form-factor systems are not expected to run demanding games, it does not hurt to have a performance headroom.

Exact prices of the MSI CUBI 2 Plus SFF systems will depend on their actual configurations.

Gallery: MSI Rolls-Out CUBI 2 Plus SFF PCs Featuring Intel’s SFX Platform

from AnandTech http://ift.tt/1oKh5iv
via IFTTT

AMD's GPU and CPU Market Share Reported to Fall Further in Q1 2016 – Polaris and Zen To ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

AMD is expected to deliver Polaris GPUs on schedule however same could not be said for their Zen processors the industry believes might not be able ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Rqknk2
via IFTTT

Amd phenom x3 2.4ghz triple core cpu processor

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Sad to let this solid cpu go but I don't want this cpu to keep sitting in my drawer forever! Tested and works like a charm! Triple core will boost your ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1TB8Yjk
via IFTTT

Samsung's Galaxy S7 is the first smartphone to feature a clever liquid cooling system

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Overheating is a major problem that OEMs are faced with high-processing devices. The GPU (graphics processor, for gaming) and CPU (processor) ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1RqknjY
via IFTTT

Prefetching Data for Intel Xeon Phi

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

... with respect to getting the data to the processor with reduced latency. ... can be more important than on a main CPU such as the Intel Xeon CPUs.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1VGWAgZ
via IFTTT

AMD Offering Free Games to Owners Of Select AMD Products Including CPUs, APUs and GPUs

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

If your PC is powered by an AMD branded processor or graphics card, you may be in luck. The American semiconductor company is running a game ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1LHJGK1
via IFTTT

EK-XLC Predator AIO Gains AMD CPU Support

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

EK's XLC Predator series AIO water cooler has now gained AMD CPU socket support thanks to a new upgrade kit.

from Overclock3D.Net http://ift.tt/21tzGwR
via IFTTT

Origin EON17-SLX review: It sets new records, but calling it a laptop is a stretch

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

We stopped disassembling here, but as long as Intel's next processors use the same socket and are compatible with the chipset and BIOS, you could ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1KNcrtR
via IFTTT

XOLO Era X: Quad-Core Processor, 2GB RAM, 4G With VoLTE & Android M Upgradable

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Underneath the hood we get a rather unheard Spreadtrum SC9830A chipset that houses a dated 1.5GHz quad-core A7 CPU, 512MHz Mali 400 MP2 ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1WKEtqq
via IFTTT

Zopo Speed 8 with Deca-Core Helio X20 CPU, 4GB RAM goes official

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It is one of the first smartphones to use the Helio X20 deca-core processor of Mediatek. The smartphone will succeed Zopo Speed 7 which was ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Lek8cw
via IFTTT

Google Releases Cloud Processor For Hadoop, Spark

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Trial customers created clusters ranging in size from three to “thousands” of virtual CPUs, the company said. Dataproc clusters can be spun up as ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1XNxcHG
via IFTTT

Xiaomi Mi 5 Specs: Snapdragon 820 CPU, 4 GB RAM, and Android Marshmallow

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

There are actually three variants of the Xiaomi Mi 5 all underpinned by the same powerful Snapdragon 820 processor and all coming with premium ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Ld5NNi
via IFTTT

Gigabyte Announces New 17.3” Gaming Laptops with Intel Skylake Processors

http://ift.tt/1T7poBH

GIGABYTE has introduced its new family of desktop replacement gaming notebooks with Intel’s Skylake microprocessors. The new laptops not only feature new CPUs, but also add support for technologies like USB 3.1, M.2, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 and some other improvements.

The GIGABYTE P57 laptops are powered by the Intel Core i7-6700HQ (four cores with Hyper-Threading technology, 2.60 GHz default frequency, 3.50 GHz turbo frequency, 6 MB LLC cache, 45 W TDP, dual-channel DDR4/DDR3L memory controller) as well as Intel’s mobile HM170 platform controller hub (PCH). The laptop can be equipped with up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2133 memory, which should be sufficient for a gaming laptop. GIGABYTE’s P57 notebooks feature 17.3-inch IPS display with matte anti-glare coating and 1920x1080 resolution.

Graphics sub-system is the key piece of technology for any gaming PC. The GIGABYTE P57K is equipped with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 965M GPU (1024 stream processors, 64 texture units, 32 raster operations pipelines) with 2 GB GDDR5 onboard. The more powerful GIGABYTE P57W comes with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 970M GPU (1280 SPs, 80 TUs, 48 ROPs) and 3 GB of GDDR5 onboard. Both graphics adapters should deliver sufficient performance in games in 1920x1080 resolution. However, it is not completely clear why GIGABYTE decided to cut-down the amount of onboard GPU memory. The P37W DTR notebook from the company features the GeForce GTX 970M with 6 GB of GDDR5, whereas the P37K sports the GeForce GTX 965M with 4 GB of RAM.

Storage sub-system of the GIGABYTE P57 is similar to that of its predecessors: the laptop features a 512 GB integrated M.2 type 2280 SSD (with PCIe 3.0 x4 interface) and comes with a Blu-ray RW/DVD RW ODD that can be swapped with a 2.5” HDD or SSD. GIGABYTE does not reveal which SSD it installs by default, but claims that it has read speed of about 2000 MB/s, which points to a rather powerful model.

The new DTR notebooks also come with a new keyboard that has anti-ghost backlighting as well as 30-keys rollover support and macros. Unfortunately, this keyboard does not have programmable keys, which may upset some gamers.

 

Since GIGABYTE’s P57 are desktop replacement gaming machines, they feature the whole set of wired and wireless communication technologies, including a Gigabit Ethernet port (with traffic management software) as well as Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1 controllers.

The input/output functionality of GIGABYTE’s P57 is in line with modern laptops. The system features one USB 3.1 type-C port (I am not sure which controller is used, but if it is Intel’s Alpine Ridge, which GIGABYTE uses on the majority of its Intel-based platforms, then it will be just a matter of time before the port gets Thunderbolt 3 certification), three USB 3.0 type-A connectors, an HDMI output with HDCP 2.2  for playback of Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and output video to a compatible TV or display, a mini DisplayPort and even a D-Sub output. In addition, the notebooks are equipped with a HD webcam, a SD card reader, a microphone, two 1.5W speakers and even a SPDIF output.

The more advanced GIGABYTE P57W comes with a 75.81 Wh battery, whereas the P57K sport a 60.8 Wh battery. The notebooks can weigh from 2.7 to 2.9 kilograms, depending on exact configuration.

The GIGABYTE P57W is already available at Newegg starting at $1499.

Gallery: Gigabyte Announces New 17.3” Gaming Laptops with Intel Skylake Processors

from AnandTech http://ift.tt/1VEMop3
via IFTTT

Ashes of the Singularity Revisited: A Beta Look at DirectX 12 & Asynchronous Shading

http://ift.tt/1Ov50C7

We’ve been following DirectX 12 for about 2 years now, watching Microsoft’s next-generation low-level graphics API go from an internal development project to a public release. Though harder to use than earlier high-level APIs like DirectX 11, DirectX 12 gives developers more control than ever before, and for those who can tame it, they can unlock performance and develop rendering techniques simply not possible with earlier APIs. Coupled with the CPU bottlenecks of DirectX 11 coming into full view as single-threaded performance increases have slowed and CPUs have increased their core counts instead, and DirectX 12 could not have come at a better time.

Although DirectX 12 was finalized and launched alongside Windows 10 last summer, we’ve continued to keep an eye on the API as the first games are developed against it. As developers need the tools before they can release games, there’s an expected lag period between the launch of Windows 10 and when games using the API are ready for release, and we are finally nearing the end of that lag period. Consequently we’re now getting a better and clearer picture of what to expect with games utilizing DirectX 12 as those games approach their launch.

There are a few games vying for the title of the first major DirectX 12 game, but at this point I think it’s safe to say that the first high profile game to be released will be Ashes of the Singularity. This is due to the fact that the developer, Oxide, has specifically crafted an engine and a game meant to exploit the abilities of the API – large numbers of draw calls, asynchronous compute/shading, and explicit multi-GPU – putting it a step beyond adding DX12 rendering paths to games that were originally designed for DX11. As a result, both the GPU vendors and Microsoft itself have used Ashes and earlier builds of its Nitrous engine to demonstrate the capabilities of the API, and this is something we’ve looked at with both Ashes and the Star Swarm technical demo.

Much like a number of other games these days, Ashes of the Singularity for its part has been in a public beta via Steam early access, while its full, golden release on March 22^nd is fast approaching. To that end Oxide and publisher Stardock are gearing up to release the second major beta of the game, and the last beta before the game goes gold. At the same time they’ve invited the press to take a look at the beta and its updated benchmark ahead of tomorrow’s early access release, so today we’ll be taking a second and more comprehensive look at the game.

from AnandTech http://ift.tt/1RnFHGN
via IFTTT

How to achieve ultra-efficiency in 64-bit compute

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It is worth noting that the Cortex-A35 processor delivers this 64-bit and ... to the CPU, NEON media engine, L2 caches, and remaining top-level logic.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1KKTOqj
via IFTTT

Xiaomi Mi5 Scores Higher Than Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 in Benchmark

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

We already reported that Samsung Galaxy S7 powered by Exynos 8890 processor has been beaten by the LG G5 equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 CPU. But Xiaomi's Mi5 seems to have beaten both flagships in AnTuTu, ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1Q0af0P
via IFTTT

Xiaomi Mi 5 vs Xiaomi Mi 4: 2016's Flagship is IMMENSE

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

As for processors the Mi 4 features a relatively weak Snapdragon 801 chipset. The new Mi 5, however, packs in a top-end Snapdragon 820 CPU.

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1T6Y7iL
via IFTTT

Xiaomi Mi 4s Officially Introduced with Snapdragon 808 CPU, 3GB RAM

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

That's an incredible price for a smartphone that comes with a hexa-core processor and high amount of RAM inside. But let's start with the software side ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1TFCPbv
via IFTTT

World's First Smartphone Powered by a Deca-Core CPU Announced at MWC 2016

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Today, the first smartphone to pack MediaTek's Helio X20 deca-core processor has been officially introduced at MWC 2016. The device is called Zopo ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1XMrllU
via IFTTT

MWC 2016: Xiaomi unveils Mi 5 series with Snapdragon 820 CPU

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

... with different storage and CPU configuration. The top-end model will be called Mi 5 Pro, which comes with 2.15Ghz Snapdragon 820 processor, ...

from Google Alert - CPU processor http://ift.tt/1TFCOVd
via IFTTT

Mushkin Impact 256GB and Atom 128GB USB Flash Drives Capsule Review

http://ift.tt/1QxHCp3

Flash drives are a dime a dozen these days, and most of them carry uninteresting specifications. In particular, flash drives advertising smaller physical footprints have tended to carry disappointing performance numbers. At CES 2016, Mushkin had two USB Flash Drives (UFDs) on display belonging to the 'small footprint' club, the Impact 256GB and the Atom 128GB. We have reviewed the Atom 64GB version before. Though we were unimpressed with the Atom's performance, the form factor was very intriguing. Last month, Mushkin showed that they had doubled the capacity while retaining the same form factor. Along with the Atom 128GB, Mushkin also showed off one of the smallest 256GB UFDs in the market, the Impact 256GB.

Hardware Design and Internals

The industrial design of the Atom 128GB is the same as that of the 64GB version. It has a small hole at one end to secure it to a keychain or anything similar. The Impact is small too, and the picture below brings out the relative sizes.

The smalled 256GB UFD that we have reviewed as yet is the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2. The Impact 256GB is of the same length, but has a slightly smaller width. It is highly improbable that the Impact 256GB might end up blocking any USB port adjoining the one it is connected to.

Unlike the Atom's plastic casing, the Impact also has an aluminum housing, and despite the lightweight nature, feels solid in hand. It also has a plastic tab at one end for attachment purposes.

Without opening up the unit, it is possible to identify the controller and flash inside the units.

The Atom 128GB has a Phison PS2251-07 single-channel USB 3.0 flash controller and uses Toshiba TLC flash. On the other hand, the Impact 256GB comes with the dual-channel high performance Phison PS2251-08 controller and Toshiba MLC flash.

Testbed Setup and Testing Methodology

Evaluation of DAS units on Windows is done with the testbed outlined in the table below. For devices with a USB 3.0 (via a Type-A interface) connections (such as the Mushkin Impact 256GB and Atom 128GB that we are considering today), we utilize the USB 3.0 port directly hanging off the Z97 PCH.

AnandTech DAS Testbed Configuration
Motherboard	Asus Z97-PRO Wi-Fi ac ATX
CPU	Intel Core i7-4790
Memory	Corsair Vengeance Pro CMY32GX3M4A2133C11 32 GB (4x 8GB) DDR3-2133 @ 11-11-11-27
OS Drive	Seagate 600 Pro 400 GB
SATA Devices	Asus BW-16D1HT 16x Blu-ray Write (w/ M-Disc Support)
Add-on Card	Asus Thunderbolt EX II
Chassis	Corsair Air 540
PSU	Corsair AX760i 760 W
OS	Windows 10 Pro x64
Thanks to Asus and Corsair for the build components

The full details of the reasoning behind choosing the above build components can be found here. The list of DAS units used for comparison purposes is provided below.

• Mushkin Impact 256GB
• Mushkin Atom 128GB
• Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB
• Mushkin Atom 64GB
• Mushkin Ventura Ultra 120GB
• Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB
• SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0
• SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB
• VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB

Synthetic Benchmarks - ATTO and Crystal DiskMark

Mushkin claims read and write speeds of 400 MBps and 310 MBps respectively for the Impact 256GB. The corresponding numbers are 180 MBps and 40 MBps for the Atom 128GB. These are unfortunately not hit with our default ATTO benchmark settings. In any case, these access traces are not very common in real-life scenarios.

Mushkin Impact 256GB Mushkin Atom 128GB Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB Mushkin Atom 64GB Mushkin Ventura Ultra 120GB Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0 SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB

CrystalDiskMark, despite being a canned benchmark, provides a better estimate of the performance range with a selected set of numbers. Here, we can see things closer to Mushkin's claims - 375 MBps reads and 286 MBps writes for the Impact 256GB, and 191 MBps reads and 26 MBps writes for the Atom 128 GB. The native USB 3.0 flash controllers have always sruggled with very low IOPS for 4K random accesses (writes in particular). We see the Impact 256GB fall to 0.013 MBps for 4K random writes, while the Atom 128GB comes in at 0.071 MBps for that access trace.

Mushkin Impact 256GB Mushkin Atom 128GB Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB Mushkin Atom 64GB Mushkin Ventura Ultra 120GB Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0 SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB

Benchmarks - robocopy and PCMark 8 Storage Bench

Our testing methodology for DAS units also takes into consideration the usual use-case for such devices. The most common usage scenario is transfer of large amounts of photos and videos to and from the unit. The minor usage scenario is importing files directly off the DAS into a multimedia editing program such as Adobe Photoshop. Since these are not portable SSDs, we will be disregarding the latter use-case.

In order to tackle the first use-case, we created three test folders with the following characteristics:

• Photos: 15.6 GB collection of 4320 photos (RAW as well as JPEGs) in 61 sub-folders
• Videos: 16.1 GB collection of 244 videos (MP4 as well as MOVs) in 6 sub-folders
• BR: 10.7 GB Blu-ray folder structure of the IDT Benchmark Blu-ray (the same that we use in our robocopy tests for NAS systems)

The benchmark numbers show a wide spread - for certain use-cases such as Blu-ray folder writes, the Atom and the Impact have top numbers in their respective capacity classes, but they also come in with disappointing numbers for use-cases such as copying over lots of photographs. Further down, we will see if the pricing can act as a redeeming aspect.

Performance Consistency

Yet another interesting aspect of these types of units is performance consistency. Aspects that may influence this include thermal throttling and firmware caps on access rates to avoid overheating or other similar scenarios. This aspect is an important one, as the last thing that users want to see when copying over, say, 100 GB of data to the flash drive, is the transfer rate going to USB 2.0 speeds. In order to identify whether the drive under test suffers from this problem, we instrumented our robocopy DAS benchmark suite to record the flash drive's read and write transfer rates while the robocopy process took place in the background. For supported drives, we also recorded the internal temperature of the drive during the process. Unfortunately, neither the Atom nor the Impact expose the temperature details. The graphs below show the speeds observed during our real-world DAS suite processing. The first three sets of writes and reads correspond to the photos suite. A small gap (for the transfer of the videos suite from the primary drive to the RAM drive) is followed by three sets for the next data set. Another small RAM-drive transfer gap is followed by three sets for the Blu-ray folder.

An important point to note here is that each of the first three blue and green areas correspond to 15.6 GB of writes and reads respectively. Throttling, if any, is apparent within the processing of the photos suite itself. The good thing here is that neither the Impact nor the Atom suffer from thermal throttling.

Mushkin Impact 256GB Mushkin Atom 128GB Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB Mushkin Atom 64GB Mushkin Ventura Ultra 120GB Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0 SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB

Concluding Remarks

Coming to the business end of the review, the Impact 256GB and Atom 128GB continue Mushkin's tradition of improving the performance and capacity of their USB 3.0 flash drives every year, while retaining the same physical footprint.

The performance of the drives indicate suitability for write-once read-many scenarios. There are 128GB and 256GB portable SSDs (not in the same form factor, obviously) that have much better overall performance.Can the pricing save the day for Mushkin? We took a look at the online pricing of the various UFDs that we have evaluated so far and compared their cost per GB.

The Impact 256GB (priced at $85) is simply the most economical 256GB flash drive that we have seen so far. Given the $0.33/GB pricing, it is hard to not recommend it provided the use-case is appropriate. The Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 does provide better overall performance, but it comes in at $0.55/GB. At $40, the Atom 128GB is also the cheapest UFD in its capacity class that we have looked at in detail.

Overall, the Mushkin 256GB and Atom 128GB don't impress with their benchmark numbers. However, the pricing aspect more than makes up for the average performance.

Buy Mushkin Impact 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive on Amazon.com

from AnandTech http://ift.tt/1TFwsF7
via IFTTT