Friday, August 18th, 2017

Time	Event
9:15a	Intel Provides Partners Preliminary 8th Gen Desktop Details: Core i7-8700K to Core i3-8100 At a closed-session partner in China, Intel revealed a number of preliminary details about its upcoming 8th generation Core processors for desktops. As expected, Intel is telling its business customers that is increasing core count of its CPUs for mainstream PCs in a bid to drive performance, catalyze upgrades and better compete against its rival. Intel has previously unveiled that they're working on what will be their 8th Generation Core processors. What has been rumored for a while (and what Intel yet has to publicly confirm) is increased core counts for the 8th Gen desktop parts. This week Chiphell, a China-based website, published a picture taken from a partner briefing event, which briefly describes the advantages of Intel’s 8th gen Core CPUs vs the company’s 7th gen Core chips. According to two separate external sources with knowledge of the matter, the slide is up-to-date and genuine. Intel is stating that the increased number of cores and enlarged caches will be the key improvements of the 8th Gen desktop parts, compared to their direct predecessors. In particular, the event speaker explained that the next-gen Core i7-8000 series CPUs will gain two additional cores to give six cores with Hyper-Threading. At the top end, it was stated that these will be at 95W and 65W TDPs for unlocked and regular SKUs respectively. The Core i5 series will also get two additional cores, but no Hyper-Threading. As for the Core i3 parts, these parts will lose Hyper-Threading, but instead move into the traditional i5 space, giving four cores only. Intel stated that they will also continue to offer unlocked CPUs within its i7, i5 and i3 families, and such processors will feature higher frequencies and a 95 W TDP (compared to the 65 W thermal envelope for their regular parts). Basic Specifications of Intel Core i5/i7 Desktop CPUs 7th Generation 8th Generation   Cores Freq. (Base) L3 TDP   Cores Freq. (Base) L3 TDP i7-7700K 4/8 4.2GHz 8 MB 95W i7-8700K 6/12 3.8GHz 12MB 95W i7-7700 3.6GHz 65W i7-8700 ? 65W i5-7600K 4/4 3.8GHz 6 MB 95W i5-8600K 6/6 ? 9 MB 95W i5-7400 3.0GHz 65W i5-8400 2.8GHz 65W i3-7350K 2/4 4.2GHz 4 MB 60W i3-8350K 4/4 4.0GHz 6MB 95W i5-7100 3.9GHz 51W i3-8100 3.8GHz 65W As it stands, three things remain unclear about the 8th generation Core processors for desktops. The first one is the integrated graphics configuration of the company’s upcoming parts, as it may be important if Intel increases their GPU core counts to keep performance growing. The second one is the CPU core configuration of the future Pentium SKUs. In the case of Kaby Lake-based Pentiums, Intel enabled Hyper-Threading technology to match the Core i3 parts, blurring the line between the i3-7000 and the Pentium G4600-series parts. Third is if there are any adjustments to the pricing structure. What will be interesting is the fact that Intel has lost the 4C/8T level of hardware. By moving the Core i5 to a six-core, any 4C/8T component has the potential to surpass a 6C/6T in certain tests.  Intel did not supply us with this information. Intel traditionally does not comment on information it reveals to partners behind closed doors. More importantly, the information should be considered as preliminary as the company has been known to change product specifications close to launch, even on final engineering samples to retail. Even though the 8th generation Core processors would already need to be in production in order to meet Intel's 2017 goals, last minute changes are always on the table. Similarly, Intel has a lot of latitude in deciding when to actually launch their parts, particularly lower-volume desktop parts. Related Reading: Intel to Announce 8th Generation Core Processors on August 21st Coffee Lake Not Supported by Intel’s 200-Series Motherboards Intel Officially Reveals Post-8th Generation Core Architecture Code Name: Ice Lake, Built on 10nm+ (Comment on this)
9:45a	Unannounced 8th Generation Core 15W U-Series CPUs Appear on Intel’s Public Price List More news from Intel this morning, this time published directly on their website. With the upcoming announcement of the 8th Generation Core next week to which Intel has already posted teasers to the media, it would seem that someone at Intel decided to add processor details and pricing into Intel’s official Price List today. New to the document are four CPUs, all in the U-series range, which usually indicates TDPs of 15W for non-Iris products. However, the big jump to note will be in the core counts. U-series processors, including the Core i7 parts, have historically been only dual-core with Hyper-Threading, similar to the Core i5 parts (with the Core i7 being better for voltage/frequency curves and overall performance). The Price List shows that both the new Core i7-8000 and Core i5-8000 parts will move up to four cores, and both will feature Hyper-Threading, giving a total of eight threads. Specifications of Intel Core i5/i7 U-series CPUs 7th Generation 8th Generation   Cores Freq. (Base) L3 Price   Cores Freq. (Base) L3 Price i7-7660U 2/4 2.5 GHz 4 MB $415 i7-8650U 4/8 1.9 GHz 8 MB $409 i7-7560U 2.4 GHz $415 i7-8550U 1.8 GHz $409 i5-7360U 2/4 2.3 GHz 3 MB $304 i5-8350U 4/8 1.7 GHz 6 MB $297 i5-7260U 2.2 GHz $304 i5-8250U 1.6 GHz $297 The Price List also states their L3 cache sizes, which is consistent with previous Core i7/i5 positioning. The base frequencies are to note, which are lower than previous generations. Other information shows the pricing is about the same, and the that these are on 14nm. It doesn’t state which 14nm process these parts are on, but it confirms that 10nm isn’t ready as of today to go into the list. The list also doesn't state the CPUs' turbo frequencies. Click to Zoom One thing that might have users disappointed is that there is no update on any desktop parts in the price list. The list has the new U-series CPUs as having an official price from August 21st, which would also follow some of the laptop designs that have been leaked by retailers featuring these new parts. The image at the top is of the Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-55XD, which is one of those devices. Related Reading Intel to Announce 8th Generation Core Processors on August 21st Coffee Lake Not Supported by Intel’s 200-Series Motherboards Intel Officially Reveals Post-8th Generation Core Architecture Code Name: Ice Lake, Built on 10nm+ (Comment on this)
11:00a	Lian-Li releases PC-Q39 Tempered Glass Mini-ITX Tower On Tuesday, Lian-Li announced a new Mini-ITX Tower chassis with its PC-Q39. A progression from the PC-Q37 case, the PC-Q39 is a bit larger and can now house an ATX form factor PSU, up to 2x120mm radiator, and a triple slot graphics card. The outside of the chassis uses tempered glass on the side with an updated aluminum front panel giving it a high-end look many are after. Lian-Li PC-Q39 Like its predecessor, the PC-Q39 maintains a dual chamber design separating the motherboard, video card, and heatsink/radiator from the HDD/SSD and power supply. Lian-Li strategically placed dedicated grommets for liquid cooling tubes at the top and bottom of the motherboard tray. Along with five other holes, there are plenty of places to route tubing for the reservoir and pumps, as well as other wiring in the wider second chamber. This setup can make for a much cleaner look and allows for less obstructed airflow in the main chamber. The front panel, located on top of the Q39 (was on the front of the Q37), has been modernized to include a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C connector, as well as two USB3.0 ports.   The PC-Q39’s additional size, 15mm wider, allows it to use the more familiar ATX form factor for PSUs, up to 160mm in length. The second compartment also contains a tool-less drive rack holding two 3.5” and one 2.5” drive. Two additional spaces for 2.5” drives are found in the back and on the motherboard tray, for a total of three 2.5” drives. At the top of the chassis, there is room for two 120mm fans or a 240mm radiator. Additionally, there is space on the bottom of the case for two 120mm fans or a single 140 mm fan for increased airflow in the main chamber. All fan mount points come with a magnetically attached dust filter to slow the buildup of dust inside the case. There are three expansion slots for PCIe devices allowing owners to use video cards with a triple slot cooler and up to 300mm in length. Working in the small case shouldn't be an issue due to the front, top, and side panels all being removable.    Below is a complete specifications table:  Lian-Li PC-Q39 Mini-ITX Chassis Model PC-Q39G WX Case Type Mini Tower Chassis Dimensions (W)252mm x(H)348mm x(D)346mm Color Black Front/Side Panel Aluminum / (L) Tempered Glass, (R) Aluminum Body Material Aluminum Net Weight 5.3kg External Drive Bays None HDD/SSD Bays 2x 3.5", 3x 2.5" Expansion Slots 3 Motherboard Type Mini-ITX System Fan (Optional) 2x 120mm(top), 2x 120mm or 1x 140mm(bottom) I/O Ports 2x USB3.0, 1x USB3.1 Type-C, HD Audio VGA Card Support (L)300mm x (D)60mm CPU Cooling Support (H)120mm PSU Support ATX PSU,(L)160mm Radiator Support Top: 240mm x 80mm x 120mm The PC-Q39 is available now at newegg.com for $209.99.  Gallery: Lian Li PC-Q39 Mini-ITX Chassis Related Reading: Lian-Li Announces Availability of the DK-05 Motorized Adjustable PC Desk GIGABYTE Joins AM4 Mini-ITX Club with GA-AB350N-Gaming Wi-Fi Motherboard Mighty Mini-ITX: ASRock X299E-ITX/ac with 4 Channel DDR4 and 3xM.2 Support ASUS Announces ROG Strix H270I & B250I Mini-ITX Motherboards (Comment on this)
2:00p	Dell Now Offers Aquantia AQtion AQN-108-Based 5 GbE Cards with Select PCs Aquantia and Dell this week began to offer Aquantia’s AQtion AQN-108 5 GbE network controller as a build-to-order option for the OptiPlex 7050 workstations. Dell is the first major PC brand to offer an Aquantia AQtion card with its systems, and since Dell is one of the world’s largest suppliers of computers, the collaboration is a good news for Aquantia. This is also equally good news for the adoption of higher bandwidth Ethernet standards in PCs, marking one of the first times a faster NIC has been available in a commodity-grade workstation. The Aquantia AQtion AQN-108 card is a 2.5/5 GbE network controller that uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot and supports 5 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 1 Gbps and 100 Mbps networking standards over RJ45 connectors using Cat5e/Cat6a cabling over distances up to 100 meters. The card is aimed at individuals and small businesses willing to invest in 2.5G/5G infrastructure. In fact, the Dell OptiPlex 7050 machines are meant for this kind of organizations: the workstations are based on Intel’s Core processors (the Core i3-7300 is the cheapest option) and start at $769 per box. Dell charges $277.13 for the addition of a full height AQtion AQN-108 card into a tower OptiPlex 7050, which is quite a lot because Aquantia charges around $100 per card. Unfortunately, this is a usual practice for large PC makers to sell optional hardware with a huge markup. For example, even Intel’s 10 GbE X540 card can be bought for considerably less than $277 at Amazon. Despite the price, it is important that Dell is offering an AQuantia-based NIC designed for 2.5G and 5 G infrastructure because it means that the large PC supplier sees promise in 2.5G/5G networks. Related Reading: ASUS Launches XG-C100C 10 GBase-T Adapter: Aquantia AQC107, $99 ASUS XG-U2008 10GBase-T Network Switch Released: 2x10G + 8x1G for $249 Lower Cost 10GBase-T Switches Coming: 4, 5 and 8-port Aquantia Solutions at ~$30/Port Aquantia Launches New 2.5G/5G Multi-Gigabit Network Controllers for PCs Aquantia Launch AQtion 5G/2.5G/1G Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Cards (NICs) for PCIe GIGABYTE Exhibits an Aquantia AQC107 based 10G Ethernet PCIe Card AKiTiO Displays Thunderbolt 3 to 10GBase-T Adapter (Comment on this)
7:00p	AnandTech Parent Company Employee Killed in Terrorist Attack We lost a friend and a colleague to terrorism yesterday (Aug. 17). Bruno Gulotta, 35, an employee of Tom's Hardware Italy — a brand owned by AnandTech parent company Purch — was on holiday in Barcelona, Spain, strolling along Las Ramblas with his partner and two young children, when he was struck and killed by a van that also took the lives of 13 others and injured more than 100. When he was hit by the van, Bruno was holding his 5-year-old son Alessandro's hand. His son was yanked away to safety by his mother, who had their 7-month-old daughter, Aria, strapped to her chest when the van struck. The terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities have arrested at least four suspects as the investigation continues, according to the Associated Press. "It is with great sadness that I must report that one of our team members was killed in the attack in Barcelona yesterday," Purch CEO Greg Mason announced in an email to the company. "While many of our offices are no stranger to the realities of terrorism, it is particularly sobering when tragedy takes one of our own. Please keep Bruno and his family in your thoughts and prayers as well as our EU team members who are dealing with the very real existence of danger and loss in their daily lives," Mason said. Bruno was mourned and remembered by his friend and colleague Roberto Buonanno, the country manager for Tom's Hardware Italy, in a story we have translated and reposted below. If you would like to donate to Bruno's family, contributions are being collected through a PayPal account Buonanno set up for this purpose: paypal.me/famigliabrunogulotta. From Tom's Hardware Italy, translated: Today is a day of mourning for us. We all come together with affection for his companion, Martina, and his two small children. Here are our memories of Bruno, as written by the country manager of Tom’s Hardware for Italy, Roberto Buonanno. The news came to us suddenly yesterday evening during the laid-back week of Ferragosto [a holiday celebrated in Italy]. Our colleague and friend Bruno Gulotta was run over and killed by a terrorist in the heart of Barcelona. Here was there on vacation with his companion and his two kids. He was posting on Facebook, and everything seemed like a typical vacation: a photo from Cannes, one from Las Ramblas in Barcelona. And then something that no one expects: the death of a young man, father and partner of the mother of his two children. We spent the evening and night trying to stay lucid, and communicate the news to our colleagues and close friends; many wondered if this was a macabre joke or reality. And then we started to read online publications, competing to collect as much news, photos and videos of this young Italian, dead in a terrorist attack in Barcelona. It is a tragedy that strikes us in so many ways, one more dramatic than the other. We are thinking of his companion, Martina, who, with the strength of a young mother, must now face something nobody should have to. We put ourselves in the shoes of little Alessandro, who is preparing to start elementary school, knowing that his life and family will no longer be the same. And then we think of little Aria, who will not remember the horrible scene, but will never know her dad. Bruno was a point of reference, a central figure for all those who knew him. For us at Tom's Hardware, he was an important pillar who helped hold us up. Anyone who worked with him — whether it was customers, suppliers or web stars — was impressed by his kindness and professionalism. He had an insatiable hunger for knowledge, and he was a real enthusiast — one of us — even though he later decided to move full time to marketing and sales. And in that role, I have never known a more capable person. He loved to study every aspect of his profession. He was an insatiable reader and avidly searched for perfection. We talked for hours and hours about our productivity and our personnel development systems, and exchanged many letters seeking guidance. Anyone who had a problem with a computer, software or web platform could ask and find a solution by coming to Bruno, even if they didn't work with him. That’s because Bruno was a truly generous and heartfelt person. He was able to lead a rich family life and a brilliant professional career with a balance that I will always admire. Personally, Bruno helped keep my feet on the ground. Every time we had a problem or a question that required my approval, I talked with him. And this went beyond just business. We talked about the education of children, vaccines, alternative medicine, diet and physical fitness. I don't know how I will be able to endure, seeing his empty desk in our office across from where I work, and I think about how much I will miss his company. And then I realized that it is a selfish thought, because everything that counts now, and that's important, is giving maximum support to his family, to whom we will always be available. Rest in peace, Bruno. We will always remember you. Considering that you have always been a life force, I swear to you, even through your last act on Earth, you have taught me a profound lesson. You will always be in my thoughts every time that I feel the need for a voice of a friend, as if you would always be there, as you have always been, at every hour of the day and in any moment. (Comment on this)

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