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Computer hardware always evolves, and in the interest of making lives more productive technology continues to advance. Gigabyte has recently launched their P55-A series of motherboards on the Intel P55-Express chipset, which incorporate a new 3-3-3 theme of features: Super-Speed USB 3.0 and 3x the USB power output, as well as SATA-3.0 for 6Gbps bandwidth. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 and inspects the new SATA-6G functionality in-depth. Performance will be measured between the Intel Core i7-860 fitted to the LGA1156 socket on the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 motherboard and the Core i7-920 equipped GA-EX58-UD4P. Testing a Core i7-860 against an i7-920 might not seem fair, and it’s a little biased to compare P55 against X58, but the final outcome might just surprise you.

For computer enthusiasts, the last Intel milestone was the Core i7 processor launch that paralleled the X58-Express motherboard chipset launch back in November of 2008. Intel returned to launch the P55-Express chipset for mainstream users around September 2009, introducing a new LGA1156 socket for the Core i5 and i7 processors. On the outside little more than the processor socket and memory configuration has changed, replacing dual-channel for triple. PCI-Express now offers only one 16x lane instead of two, while the number of SATA and USB ports continues to give more expansion room than the average user might need. The consumer might not know what to expect when choosing between the two products, other than one is mainstream (P55) and the other is for extreme enthusiasts (X58).

Benchmark Reviews has tested the Lynnfield Core i7-870 and Core i5-750 processors, and we’ve also inspected Intel’s P55-Express motherboard chipset in other articles, but we’ve yet to have a good apples-for-apples look at P55 versus X58. Comparing the 2.8GHz Core i7-860 LGA1156 Lynnfield CPU against Intel’s 2.67GHz Core i7-920 LGA1366 Nehalem processor looks doesn’t seem very fair paper, even more so when you pair them to their rightful P55-Express mainstream or X58-Express enthusiast motherboards. While the basis of this article revolves around a review of the Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 LGA1156 motherboard, the real story here is how one ‘mainstream’ platform can compete with the premium ‘extreme’ platform for enthusiasts. One costs a lot less than the other and Benchmark Reviews puts Intel on the spot to answer the question: are you really getting for your money with ‘extreme’ motherboards?

The new Core i7 and i5 processors are the first Intel processors to integrate both a 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 graphics and a dual-channel memory controller, enabling all input/output and manageability functions to be handled by the single-chip Intel P55 Express. Previous Intel chipsets required two separate chips (hence the ’set’). A new Direct Media Interface (DMI) connects between the processor and chipset, allowing P55 motherboards to support 8 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Ports (2.5GT/s) for flexible device support. Dual graphics cards are supported in a “2×8″ configuration. The Intel chipset also supports 6x SATA 3 Gb/s ports with Intel Matrix Storage Technology providing RAID levels 0/1/5/10. Up to 14 USB 2.0 Ports can be supported with the chipset’s integrated USB 2.0 Rate Matching Hub, along with Intel High Definition Audio for premium digital sound. The new processors are the first to be supported by the new Land Grid Array (LGA) 1156 package and socket technology.

The Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 was designed specifically to take advantage of the new socket LGA1156-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors using the Intel P55-Express chipset, while also adding SATA 6 Gb/s bandwidth and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 support. Similar to X58-Express motherboard, Quick Path Interconnect, or QPI, replaces the Front Side Bus and is meant to eliminate the communication bottleneck between the processor and chipset. Beginning with the P55 ‘Ibexpeak’ platform, Intel ditches the term ‘chipset’ in place of Platform Controller Hub (PCH).

Intel’s Core i5 and i7-series processors feature an integrated memory controller inside the processor die and supports 1333Mhz (up from 1066MHz in X58) dual-channel DDR3 memory that delivers impressive bandwidth and lower memory latency for incredibly fast memory access. Additionally, the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 motherboard features Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which is able to power down idle processor cores and dynamically reroute the power to the active cores for significant performance boosts, and at the same time, maintain greater energy efficiency.

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Futuristic Intel Chip Could Reshape How Computers are Built, Consumers Interact with Their PCs and Personal Devices

SANTA CLARA, Dec. 2, 2009 – Researchers from Intel Labs demonstrated an experimental, 48-core Intel processor, or "single-chip cloud computer," that rethinks many of the approaches used in today’s designs for laptops, PCs and servers. This futuristic chip boasts about 10 to 20 times the processing engines inside today’s most popular Intel® Core™-branded processors.

The long-term research goal is to add incredible scaling features to future computers that spur entirely new software applications and human-machine interfaces. The company plans to engage industry and academia next year by sharing 100 or more of these experimental chips for hands-on research in developing new software applications and programming models.

While Intel will integrate key features in a new line of Core-branded chips early next year and introduce six- and eight-core processors later in 2010, this prototype contains 48 fully programmable Intel processing cores, the most ever on a single silicon chip. It also includes a high-speed on-chip network for sharing information along with newly invented power management techniques that allow all 48 cores to operate extremely energy efficiently at as little as 25 watts, or at 125 watts when running at maximum performance (about as much as today’s Intel processors and just two standard household light bulbs).

Intel plans to gain a better understanding of how to schedule and coordinate the many cores of this experimental chip for its future mainstream chips. For example, future laptops with processing capability of this magnitude could have "vision" in the same way a human can see objects and motion as it happens and with high accuracy.

Imagine, for example, someday interacting with a computer for a virtual dance lesson or on-line shopping that uses a future laptop’s 3-D camera and display to show you a "mirror" of yourself wearing the clothes you are interested in. Twirl and turn and watch how the fabric drapes and how the color complements your skin tone.

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Intel Corporation has announced the Intel® Reader, a mobile handheld device designed to increase independence for people who have trouble reading standard print. The Intel Reader can assist the estimated 55 million people in the U.S. who have dyslexia or other specific learning disabilities, or have vision problems such as low-vision or blindness, which makes reading printed words difficult or impossible.

The Intel Reader, about the size of a paperback book, converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel® Atom™ processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.

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With the ever growing digital camera market, the competition between manufacturers has reached to a point where a 10.1 megapixel camera is available for less than Rs. 10,000. And now with 12.2 megapixel cameras hitting the consumer market, the race is just going to get stronger. But Samsung is a step ahead with their newest offering, the ST 550, the camera with the unique feature of a front LCD for Portrait shots. With this feature Samsung will claim to be at the top of the pile, but does the camera deliver on its own. Let’s find out –

With the dimensions of 99.8 (W)x 59.8 (H)x 18.6 (D)mm and weighing at 165.7g without the battery and memory card, the ST550 is a very compact camera overloaded with features. With a complete black body and a gold lining running between it, the camera is a sure treat for the eyes. With a solid metal body at the back to hold theLCD, the front panel has a clean piano finish.

On the front, the camera features a 1.5”, 61K LCD. A trend setter by all means, Samsung st 550 is the first camera to feature a front LCD screen for portrait shots. To activate, simply start the camera and tap on the front LCD. Somehow, the touch sensitivity on the front LCD is not that responsive, as you have to tap hard to activate it. A very innovative feature in itself, the front LCD is put to very good use which we will talk about in the feature section.

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Smart Internet search will be able to do with a mobile device in the NEAR future

A mobile device with Touch screen, built in camera, scanner, WiFi, google map (hopefully google earth), google search, image search…

Like this way, when you can see a building through it, it gives you the image search result right on the spot.

Choose a building and touch a floor and it tells you more details of the building. You can use it when you want to know a car model, an insect name, what kind of food is served at a restaurant and how much, who built a bridge, etc. etc.

It’s got a scanner built in.

so you can use it this way when you want to check the meaning of a word in the newspaper, book, magazine, etc. It would be much easier to read a real book. You can use the dictionary, wikipedia, thesaurus and anything else available on the web. What do you think?

Indoor guide:Works in a building, airport, station, hospital, etc.

Search keyword: Helpful when you want to find out a word from a lot of text in newspaper/book.

Nutrition: This kind of function would be helpful for health freaks..

Getting data of a weather forecast, maybe this might be possible.