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Not everybody needs the world’s fastest mobile GPU, so NVIDIA is sagely trickling down its Fermi magic to more affordable price points today. The 400M family is being fleshed out with five new midrange parts — GT 445M, GT 435M, GT 425M, GT 420M and GT 415M, to give them their gorgeous names — and a pair of heavy hitters known as the GTX 470M and GTX 460M. Features shared across the new range include a 40nm fab process, DirectX 11, CUDA general-purpose computing skills, PhysX, and Optimus graphics switching. 3D Vision and 3DTV Play support will be available on all but the lowest two variants. NVIDIA claims that, on average, the 400M graphics cards are 40 percent faster than their 300M series counterparts, and since those were rebadges of the 200M series, we’re most definitely willing to believe that assertion. Skip past the break for all the vital statistics, and look out for almost all (HP is a notable absentee, while Apple is a predictable one) the big-time laptop vendors to have gear bearing the 4xxM insignia soon.

Continue reading NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series

NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So it’s been six months since ASUS announced its new N Series laptops, but who’s counting? Okay, we are, but there’s good news, at least for the dear Brits — the 15.6-inch N53JN and the 17.3-inch N73JN are now available in the UK. The N53JN will range from £649.99 to £999 ($1,005 – $1,545) and has an impressive array of specs, including a Core i5 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GT325/415M graphics with Optimus, 320GB of storage, a Blu-ray drive and USB 3.0 ports. The wider £1,099 N73JN is pretty much identically configured, but has 640GB of storage (with two 320GB drives). However, ASUS is hoping the major lure of these systems will be its new SonicMaster sound technology, which has been developed with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower. The press release claims the audio feature is not a “gimmick” and that ASUS’s “Golden Ear” team toiled over the audio fidelity…for months we assume. There’s some bold assertions, but we guess there’s really no knowing what these bad boys really sound like until you take one home and pump up the volume.

Continue reading ASUS N53JN and N73JN with Blu-ray and SonicMaster sound now available in the UK

ASUS N53JN and N73JN with Blu-ray and SonicMaster sound now available in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandas, East Asia, wood. Nope, “laptop” hasn’t ever been on the list of words we typically associate with “bamboo,” but ASUS sure has us willing to tack it on with the introduction of its U Bamboo Series. The company’s newest 13-inch U33Jc is covered in one of the most durable and recyclable materials on earth, and its internals are made of equally strong parts. Sure, the laptop looks incredibly traditional, but the $999 machine actually packs an incredible amount of new technology, including a fresh Core i3 processor, NVIDIA Optimus enabled graphics, USB 3.0 and Intel’s wireless display technology. It’s truly one of the most impressive laptops we’ve heard about in the last few months, but a few gripes hold it back from being the killer laptop it could be. Intrigued? Bamboozled? Hit the break for our full review.

Continue reading ASUS U33Jc-A1 Bamboo series review

ASUS U33Jc-A1 Bamboo series review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s no question that NVIDIA’s Optimus system — which enables a discrete GPU to operate when a machine is taxed and a power-sipping IGP to function when you’re involved in less strenuous tasks — has changed the way the world looks at laptop graphics, but it hasn’t been able to avoid a fair amount of criticism about the controlling interface. With the July release of the monthly Verde drivers, the company has just rolled out a revised UI that provides “even more visibility into how Optimus is working and allows you even more control over how Optimus operates.” The newest Optimus control panel, as well as a brief demonstration of what’s been tweaked, is available for viewing just after the break, but it’s on you to hunt down drivers for whatever rig you call your own.

Continue reading NVIDIA’s refreshed Optimus interface sheds more light on what your GPU is doing

NVIDIA’s refreshed Optimus interface sheds more light on what your GPU is doing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just when you were thinking the pandas had gobbled up all the bamboo laptops, ASUS has finally shipped some of its latest offerings to the UK. Unlike the US, however, the lucky tea-sipping Brits are spoiled with two size options: the 13-inch, 3.75-pound U33Jc and the 15-inch, 6.1-pound U53Jc. Apart from the extra inches and the bonus DVD burner on the U53Jc, these two Windows 7 machines are almost identical: there’s a 2.26GHz Core i5-430M CPU, 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit LCD, NVIDIA GeForce 310M with Optimus technology, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and one USB 3.0 port along with two 2.0 ports. The prices? £849 ($1,292) and £899 ($1,368), respectively. Before you whip out your credit card, though, be sure to keep an eye out for our forthcoming review.

Continue reading ASUS U33Jc and U53Jc Bamboo Series laptops priced for UK consumption

ASUS U33Jc and U53Jc Bamboo Series laptops priced for UK consumption originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If the pint-sized ASUS laptop above looks a wee bit familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it before — the 12-inch UL20FT is basically a refreshed UL20A, but with the surprisingly elusive Core i3 ULV guts. The UL20FT appeared at ExcaliberPC this weekend, while its Optimus-equipped big brother appears destined for Amazon; in a slight change of plans, both feature the 1.2GHz Core i3-330UM processor. While the $600 UL20FT is a solid netbook alternative, the $900 UL80JT has double the capacity (500GB) and memory (4GB) plus an optical disc drive, and if our review of its doppelganger is any indication, the 14-inch switchable graphics machine will have stellar battery life. Still, we can’t help feel a little bummed by the lack of the Core i7-640UM we were originally promised.

[Thanks, David T.]

ASUS UL-series laptops surface at e-tailers with Core i3 ULV processor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the NVIDIA Ion 2-powered Acer Aspire One 532g falling by the wayside and the ASUS Eee PC 1201PN hitting the market sans NVIDIA Optimus, all eyes are on the ASUS Eee PC 1215N to be the true Ion 2 machine. Well, super-charged netbook fans, we’ve got good news: the 12-inch laptop, which has a 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 CPU and NVIDIA’s Optimus to intelligently switch between discrete and integrated graphics, will ship in the US around August 23. And while an MSRP hasn’t been set in stone, we’re told “it should be below $500.” Sure, a glance at the calender will reveal that you won’t get your mitts on this bad boy for at least 40 days, but we’re confident you’ll find something to pass the time.

ASUS Eee PC 1215N to ship in the US at the end of August originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS has been showing off bamboo laptops at trade shows for about three years now, but actual machines adorned in the special wood haven’t quite made it to market for what we’d call affordable prices… until now. The sub-$1,000 U43JC and U43F have been hanging out on Best Buy’s website for the last couple of days, and will be shipping towards the end of the month. Internally, these two 14-inchers certainly match their strong exterior — the $999 U43JC is a lot like the U30Jc we reviewed a few months ago with its Core i5-450M processor, NVIDIA Optimus / GeForce 310M graphics, and a 640GB hard drive. The $950 U43F has the same Core i5 processor, but instead sticks with Intel’s graphics to get some WiDi bragging rights. We’re planning to review at least one of these puppies in due time , but hey, don’t let that deter you from hitting those pre-order links below.

ASUS U43JC and U43F show up at Best Buy boastin’ bamboo bods originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The phrase “netbook powerhouse” would typically be considered an oxymoron. That was before ASUS announced its Eee PC 1215N bumpin’ a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor with NVIDIA Optimus to intelligently switch between its NVIDIA Ion discrete and integrated graphics. That means it’ll cut through 1080p video without any problem when displayed on the 12-inch 1,366 x 768 pixel display or out to an HDTV via the included HDMI jack. Other specs include Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n WiFi, integrated webcam with lens cover, choice of 250GB or 320GB hard disk drives augmented by 500GB of ASUS WebStorage, and pass-through USB to charge connected devices like cellphones when the Eee is powered off. Sorry, no mention of battery performance, price, or availability on this so-called netbook.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse

ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The phrase “netbook powerhouse” would typically be considered an oxymoron. That was before ASUS announced its Eee PC 1215N bumpin’ a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor with NVIDIA Optimus to intelligently switch between its NVIDIA Ion discrete and integrated graphics. That means it’ll cut through 1080p video without any problem when displayed on the 12-inch 1,366 x 768 pixel display or out to an HDTV via the included HDMI jack. Other specs include Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n WiFi, integrated webcam with lens cover, choice of 250GB or 320GB hard disk drives augmented by 500GB of ASUS WebStorage, and pass-through USB to charge connected devices like cellphones when the Eee is powered off. Sorry, no mention of battery performance, price, or availability on this so-called netbook.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse

ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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