The PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group) has published a preliminary version of its specification Computer-on-Modules for High-Performance Computing COM-HPC. COM-HPC defines Computer-on-Modules in five module sizes for powerful edge servers and clients in the industrial environment. It should take into account the growing demand for computing power in the edge and provide significantly more computing power and I / O performance for edge servers and edge clients than the previous x 86 – Computer-on-Module specification COM Express capable.
COMe was 2003 introduced by Intel and Kontron as ETXexpress and 2005 as PICMG specification COM Express Revision 1.0 released. It defines a bootable PC with CPU, graphics processor, RAM and standard interfaces on a module that is connected to an application-specific carrier board via a maximum of two connectors.
COM-HPC is intended to supplement COM Express, but is not limited to x 86 processors. Instead, it also allows the use of RISC processors, such as ARM CPUs, but also FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) and GPGPUs (General Purpose Computation on Graphics Processing Units).
Significantly increased All modules are connected to the carrier board via two 400 – pin BGA connectors that transfer a maximum of GT / s (Gigatransfers) and have a system management interface. Up to eight full-size DIMMs or four SO-DIMMs and a power consumption of 150 watts by the CPUs are permitted. COMe modules are on the other hand on 10 GT / s, two SO-DIMMs and 80 Watts limited.
COM-HPC also significantly expands the limits for I / O: The COM-HPC client modules can have up to 32 PCIe Gen4 or Gen5 lanes four USB 3 or USB 4 ports, four video interfaces and two Ethernet interfaces with a maximum of 25 Record gigabit / s. The specification sees the module sizes as 95 or 120 or 160 mm x 120 mm in front. The COM-HPC server modules may have up to 49 PCIe Gen4 or Gen5 lanes, two USB 3 or 4 USB ports, four graphics interfaces and eight 25 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces , also two GBase-T interfaces. The server modules may 160 or 200 mm x 160 mm in size and therefore significantly larger than COMe modules, for which, for example, only 32 PCIe Gen3 lanes, one 1GBase-T and four 10 may have GE interfaces. Support for PCIe targets on the module, for example for FPGA or GPU modules, is new.
The PICMG develops patent-free, open embedded computing specifications . Now that its technical subcommittee has approved the COM-HPC specification, it goes into the membership review with the pre-release. This review phase acts as the final review by the PICMG members. They include IT companies such as AMI, Intel and Supermicro as well as industrial IT providers such as ADLINK, Advantech, Amphenol, congatec and Kontron, but also Bielefeld University. The ratification is planned for the beginning 2021, in addition a platform management interface specification, a COM-HPC EEEP and a carrier board design guide should supplement the basic specification.
The abridged preview specification is available for download.
Fastweb announced the new UltraFWA network in 50 common to bring connectivity up to 1 Gbps in small and medium-sized cities. In addition, the speed is doubled from 1 to 2.5 Gb / s for 4 million households on the FTTH network and the opening of the 5G network for all customers at no additional cost.
by Manolo De Agostini published 15 December 2020 , at 20: 21 in the Telephony channel Fastweb
It’s called “ NeXXt Generation 2025 “the plan of Fastweb to bring the ultra-broadband to millions of Italian families . An articulated action plan, which provides for the activation of a network in these days UltraFWA (Ultra Fixed Wireless Access), which combines fiber and 5G frequencies, in 50 common located in gray areas to guarantee speeds up to 1 Gbps , without traffic limits and number of connected devices.
“Users residing in small to medium-sized cities, hitherto excluded from the gigabit revolution – towns such as Anzio or Avellino, Crema and Belluno, Nardò or Velletri – will have the opportunity to access the same opportunities so far reserved for large cities “, reads a note from the company. After the first tranche of municipalities, Fastweb expects by the end 2021 to exceed share 500 and get to 2000 by 2024 , for an overall coverage of 8 million homes in the gray areas and 4 million in the white areas.
The cities where the service is active are : Fasano, Grottaglie, Massafra, Anzio, Avellino, Aversa, Fiumicino, Modugno, Nardò, Nocera Inferiore, Ottaviano, Ragusa, Treviglio, Acireale, Adelfia, Apricena, Avezzano, Avola, Belluno, Canicattì, Casamassima, Casavatore, Cascina, Castelvetrano, Catania, Codogno, Cologno al Serio, Crema, Crotone, Eboli, Foggia, Francavilla al Mare, Francavilla Fontana, Galatina, Gioia Tauro, Ladispoli, L’Aquila, Lecce, Locorotondo, Lonato del Garda, Magione, Marcianise, Marsala, Melzo, Milazzo, Mola di Bari, Monopoli, Morbegno, Motta ,, Sant’Anastasia, No icattaro, Pachino, Partinico, Ranica, Reggio di Calabria, Rende, Riposto, Surbo, Terracina, Triggiano, Uboldo, Velletri and Vibo Valentia.
The service is however in launch ramp by February 2021 in the following municipalities : Adria, Ardea, Battipaglia, Bitetto, Budrio, Caivano, Campodarsego, Caravaggio, Carignano, Casalnuovo di Napoli, Casarano, Cassano delle Murge, Castel Volturno, Castellammare del Golfo, Chiavari, Città di Castello, Comiso, Conversano, Copertino, Dalmine, Dueville, Frascati, Frosinone, Galatone, Galliate, Gravina di Catania, Gussago , Ivrea, Jesi, Laterza, Latisana, Lentini, Manduria, Mazara del Vallo, Mesagne, Monfalcone, Montecatini-Terme, Montecchio Maggiore, Mottola, Muggiò, Nettuno, Novi Ligure, Olbia, Ospitaletto, Paternò, Pedara, Pistoia, Pomigliano d ‘ Arco, Porto Sant’Elpidio, Priverno, Reggio nell’Emilia, Romentino, San Benedetto del Tronto, San Biagio di Callalta, San Ferdinando d i Apulia, San Giovanni la Punta, San Giovanni Teatino, San Mauro Torinese, San Severo, Sanremo, Sarno, Sassuolo, Senago, Sestu, Signa, Syracuse, Sulmona, Teramo, Torremaggiore, Tortona, Verbania, Vigonza, Villafranca di Verona and Vinovo .
The cost of the offer, called Fastweb NeXXt House, is from 29, 95 € (two months free by activating by the end of the year) and you can deepen it and / or subscribe to it at this address.
There is a novelty also for those who surf at 1 Gbps on Fastweb proprietary FTTH network: the connection speed will be increased to 2.5 Gbps . “A performance increase that will be available indistinctly for new as well as existing customers, who will be able to request the upgrade of their connection at no additional cost. The new speed performances will be available from the beginning of next year gradually for families and micro-enterprises certified on the proprietary FTTH network “, the company points out.
The speed of 2.5 Gbps will be available in the following municipalities : Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, Genoa, Palermo, Bari, Bologna, Florence, Verona, Parma, Pescara, Modena, Bergamo, Brescia, Venice, Catania, Messina, Padua, Trieste, Reggio di Calabria, Monza, Salerno, Trento, Perugia, Prato, Casalecchio di Reno, Ancona, Reggio nell’Emilia, San Lazzaro di Savena.
Finally, Fastweb will inaugurate the 27 December its 5G mobile service, included in all offers for both new and existing customers happy at no extra cost. “Fastweb 5G will initially switch on in Milan, Bologna, Rome and Naples and then extend gradually to other municipalities, following the roll out of the mobile network, to cover the 90% of the population by 2025 “. Finally, we must not forget that, for some time now, Fastweb has been allowing you to try the fixed line service for 30 days: if you are dissatisfied, you can change your mind and request a refund of the costs incurred.
Last year, AMD released the Ryzen 3000 series desktop processors in one of the most monumental hardware launches of the modern era. This final step completed the Red brand’s ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs.
With the Ryzen 3000 launch came the AMD X570 chipset. Featuring PCIe 4.0 support, X570 was an impressive leap from generations past. It was also hot, with motherboards often including chipset cooling fans, and, more significantly, expensive. The high cost of the chipset increased the average cost of X570 motherboards considerably over previous generations.
While AMD has done a great job of maintaining motherboard compatibility with new generation processors, none of the previous-generation AM4 motherboards featured official PCIe 4.0 support, not even from the storage and PCIe controlled by PCIe 4.0 compatible CPUs. Enter B550, the more value-oriented little brother of X570. While the B550 chipset is PCIe 3.0 only, B550 motherboards support PCIe 4.0 from the CPU to the primary PCIe slot as well as the primary M.2 slot (dependent on a PCIe 4.0 ready CPU).
The Gigabyte B550M AORUS Pro features a 10+3 VRM design, Q-Flash Plus, and a formidable VRM thermal solution. With a surprisingly fleshed-out feature set and an attractively low price, the Gigabyte B550M AORUS Pro has a lot going for it, so let’s dive in and see if the performance lives up to the potential!
1x Q-Flash Plus button 1x HDMI port 1x DisplayPort 1.4 1x Optical SPDIF Out port 1x LAN (RJ45) port 1x USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-C port 4x USB 3.2 (Gen1) ports 1x USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-A ports 4x USB 2.0 ports 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks
HMD, the company that currently holds the rights to use the Nokia brand in the market for smartphones and other devices, has announced the launch of the notebook Nokia PureBook X 14 , a model of 14 inches with FullHD screen and support for Dolby Vision, one of the HDR content standards.
The Nokia Purebook X 14 hides a Core i5 10210 U together with 8 GB of DDR4
Inside it is equipped with an Intel Core i5 of the last generation, the modest Core i5 – 10210 U with Integrated GPU, accompanied by 8 GB of DDR4 memory and an NVMe M.2 SSD of 512 GB. All this is integrated into a body made of Manganese and Aluminum alloy.
The keyboard features single-color LED backlighting and has a pretty decent 1.4mm key travel. It is also accompanied by a multi-gesture touchpad and an infrared camera for facial identification. It does not have WiFi 6, conforming to WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1.
In terms of physical connectivity, it offers two USB-A 3.1 (3.2 gen 2), a USB-A 2.0 and a USB-C 3.1 (3.2 gen 2), plus Gigabit Ethernet, microphone input and output and HDMI output. All this with only 1.1 kg of weight with its battery of 46, 7 whr and some measures of 320, 2 x 59, 5 x 16, 8 mm.
The Nokia PureBook X 14 will arrive throughout this month, but only the Indian market, the country where they will focus their efforts to try to compete in that emerging market. The price of the Purebook X 14 It is 59. 990 rupees, about 670 euros to change.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
Biostar has announced the new B550M-Silver motherboard for gamers, mainstream users and content creators. The motherboard aims to offer high-performance within an accessible price point.
Like its name suggests, Biostar’s new offering features a black PCB with some passive heatsinks slathered in a silver color to accentuate the design. Powered by AMD’s B550 chipset, the B550M-Silver comes in a standard microATX form factor and with native support for Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) processors. The motherboard is armed with four DDR4 memory slots that support frequencies over DDR4-4400 and a maximum capacity of 128GB of memory.
High-speed storage options on the B550M-Silver consist of one speedy M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot and a standard M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot. Both accept SSDs with lengths up to 80mm, whether they’re SATA-or PCIe-based. However, you’d want to use the latter if you want to exploit the interfaces’ full performance. The motherboard also lands with six conventional SATA III connectors.
B550M-Silver (Image credit: Biostar)
In terms of expansion, the B550M-Silver supplies a single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for AMD’s Radeon RX 6000 (Big Navi) or Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 30-series (Ampere) graphics cards. There’s also a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot that runs at x4 and a PCIe 3.0 x1 slot for you to connect your other devices that are less bandwidth hungry.
The B550M-Silver doesn’t suffer from slow Internet connectivity either. The motherboard has a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, which is based of the Realtek RTL8125B controller. There is support for Wi-Fi 6 too, but you’ll have to buy your own wireless card to get that feature.
In case you plan to use the B550M-Silver with a compatible APU, the motherboard puts one DVI-D port, one HDMI port and one DisplayPort output at your disposal. The motherboard also comes with a PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and two USB 2.0 ports.
The Realtek ALC1150 codec takes care of the audio workloads on the B550M-Silver. The motherboard has three standard 3.5mm audio jacks, but support 7.1-channel audio.
Biostar didn’t reveal when the B550M-Silver will be available or how much it’ll cost.
Introduction and technical specifications of ACER Predator Helios 300 PH 347 – 58
In this Review of the ACER Predator Helios 315 PH 315 – 59 we will analyze the renewal of the Predator Helios 315 that we already tested a year ago. This new version replaces the Intel Core i7 – 9750 H for a Core i7 – 10750 H, same architecture, same cores and very similar performance, but there are also some other aesthetic and performance changes.
The graph is the same, the RTX 2600 from NVIDA and the memory configuration that accompanies the CPU is quite eye-catching, with 23 3 GB DDR4. 232 MH z distributed in a module of 20 GB and another 4 GB. It also has 642 GB NVMe SSD, a free M.2 slot, WiFi 6 connectivity and USB-C ports among other features that we detail below
Technical characteristics of the ACER Predator Helios 300 PH 363 – 59
IPS screen of 20, 6 “FullHD (2020 x 1107)
232 Hz
Intel Core i7 – 10750 H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB
23 GB DDR4 – 3200 MHz (23 + 4 GB SODIMM)
M.2 SSD NVMe from 512 GB
1 x M.2 free
1 x SATA 2,5 “free (requires flex cable)
1 x USB 3.1 (3.2 gen2) Type-C
3 x USB 3.0 (3.2 gen1) Type-A
1 x HDMI
1 x DisplayPort
Entry and 3.5mm minijack audio output
4-zone RGB keyboard
Gigabit Ethernet Killer E 2060
WiFi 6 (Killer AX 1911 i) + Bluetooth
Battery of 65 Wh
400, 4 x 286 x 24, 9 mm
2.3 kg weight
Price: 1. 313 euros (version with 23 GB DDR4 – 2933 and 1 TB SSD)
Design and Connectivity
The new Predator Helios with Intel CPU from 11 gen, externally, maintains a similar design to its predecessor, but with some variations that, depending on the case, will be more noticeable than others.
The back cover maintains the predator logo with blue illumination and two translucent side stripes also in blue, although they are not illuminated. If we compare it with the previous model, we see that the word “Predator” is lost under the logo.
The left side offers an RJ port 53 Gigabit Ethernet with Killer E card 2933 at 1 Gbps and two USB-A type 3.0, as well as a minijack for audio and mic. The power connector moves from that side to the rear, another change from the previous model.
On the right side we have a USB-C, a USB-A, an HDMI and a mini Displayport, the same ports as its predecessor, but changing the order of HDMI and mDP.
In the rear area we still have that aggressive profile, with two large nozzles air outlet to which a piece of silver plastic has now been added towards the lower area. In the central part we can see the new location of the power connector.
When we open it, we find a very similar design, with those “cuts” in the corners of the casing. the screen and the lower area. The webcam is maintained, and a silver bevel is added to the front edge of the equipment on the metal casing that also surrounds the trackpad.
The membrane keyboard maintains the RGB lighting system with four large independent zones, that is, you cannot configure key by key.
Internally we have a very similar distribution to the previous model, with a PCB blue combined with the copper cooling blocks. There are some changes in the component layout, such as the placement of the WiFi card, now higher than the main M.2 port, or the loss of the SSD heatsinks, something that the previous model did have.
We have two memory modules with asymmetric capacities of 22 and 4 GB DDR4 to 3. 255 MHz and CL 37 – 22 – 30 – 58, they can be easily replaced. Of course, the system does not support XMP, so if we want to put modules that work more than 2. 482 MHz, they must be modules with native speed with the JEDEC standard as the integrated ones.
On the right is the other M.2 NVMe port in case we want to add another unit.
The WiFi Killer card 1911 i is located just above the SSD WD SN 789.
A SATA bay allows us to add an SSD, but unfortunately this time the flex-SATA cable is not included; so we would have to get hold of it by other means.
Keyboard and Trackpad
There are no changes to the keyboard, the membrane system is maintained with a few keys with a coarse travel Be generous for these types of systems. It has an RGB lighting system with 4 independent zones in total.
The keys have a translucent white border that makes the color better visible and gives a more striking effect, in addition, the WASD keys change that white for a blue with a small bezel.
The distribution of this model It is American, without Ñ, although in Spain similar variants are sold with some other variation in the configuration but with a Spanish keyboard.
The trackpad is centered with the space key, which moves it somewhat to the left from the center of the computer. It works without any issues or defects that we noticed.
Screen
Another aspect that does not change is the screen, we still have an IPS panel of 20, 6 “with a frequency of 232 Hz and without synchronization technologies such as FreeSync or G-Sync.
It is a screen with a matte finish and a gloss that, although indoors does not present problems, outdoors or environments with a lot of light can remain something scarce.
In addition, it presents light leaks, more notable on all c in the lower area due to a poor sealing of the case with the display panel.
Brightness and contrast
The maximum brightness measured has been 300, 144 cd / m² a figure that places it below the 313 nits and that it can fall short in very bright environments. However, they are common figures in laptops of this range. With a black brightness of 0, 37 cd / m², the contrast ratio is 954: 1, very close to the 1004: 1 theoretical of this IPS panel.
Maximum brightness: 299, 97 cd / m²
Minimum brightness (black): 0, 3009 cd / m²
Contrast ratio: 969:1
Color coverage
The Predator Helios 313 of 11 gen shows color coverage close to 106% of sRGB, specifically it stays at 106, 5% with a gamut volume of 144, 6%, that is, it shows more colors present outside the sRGB gamut, although not the 106% of this range.
Color Space
Range coverage
Volume range
sRGB
97,5%
144, 6%
Adobe-RGB
73,5%
86,5%
DCI-P3
75, 7%
75,5%
As for DCI-P3, it stays at a 73, 7% coverage and 95, 5% volume, and in Adobe-RGB in 71,5 % and 86,5%. These are values that do not reach those of higher-end laptops, both gaming and for creators, but that are above other models that do not come close to 144% sRGB .
Test of color and calibration
As for the calibration tests, we have carried out more exhaustive tests than the previous model, but broadly speaking we have the same screen, with Very similar deltaE deviations above 4 points in sRGB and above 5.7 in DCI-P3. With calibration, the representation of colors in sRGB and DCI-P3 can be greatly improved, but especially in sRGB as it is a range that covers much more the panel
Delta E Uncalibrated
DeltaE after Calibration
sRGB
4,11
0, 65
DCI-P3
5,75
1,92
Calibration is the same as its predecessor, with oversized blues around the + 13% and red ones for below (-11%). This makes the color temperature somewhat cooler than normal, hovering around 8750 K. These values can be greatly improved with calibration as we show you in the following results comparing with sRGb and DCI-P3, with and without calibration.
Color tests sRGB vs SRGB mode – NOT CALIBRATED
sRGB vs SRGB mode color tests – AFTER CALIBRATION
DCI-P3 vs DCI-P3 mode color tests – UNCALIBRATED
DCI-P3 vs DCI-P3 mode color tests – AFTER CALIBRATION
Autonomy
The equipment battery has 58, 75 WH, that, added to that the Core i7 –
H
is still a “rehash” of the i7 – 10750 H and, at your time, from i7 – 8750 H a little more frequently and keeping the 16 nanometers, we already gives a clue that Helios 313 It is not going to be precisely a marvel in autonomy.
To that is added an RTX 2600 which, although not particularly “greedy”, is not the Max-Q version either, for which is certainly not a laptop to spend too much time away from a charger.
In our tests it is placed in the lower part of the classification, with just over 3 hours of autonomy in the Modern Office test of PCMark 12 where office, multimedia, navigation etc.
Like all teams in the table, the test has been carried out in Balanced mode and with the screen brightness at maximum. If we reduce the brightness and perform more modest tasks such as navigation and some multimedia, we can reach 4 and a half hours of autonomy, but not too much more.
Performance
The Core i7 –
H ya has passed through our laboratory more than once. It is the heir to the Core i7 – 9750 H and 10750 H, 6-core processors and 12 threads based on the process of 16 Intel nanometers. This model runs at 2.6 GHz and can achieve 5 GHz Boost, but it is not a very noticeable improvement over the 10750 H of the last generation Predator Helios.
In this ACER Predator Helios 315, the processor appears to have a temperature limitation of 97 º, upon reaching it the thermal throttling skips and we will not see it pass from there.
This processor is accompanied by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, identical to Helios 313 of the last generation and that we have put in the “extreme” maximum performance mode to carry out these tests.
In the tests we can see that there is a slight improvement in CPU performance, although in the GPU tests the performance is identical or even somewhat lower than that of its predecessor.
However, that extra performance that OC mode gives them makes them outperform other laptops with GPUs similar to their normal frequencies.
Multi-Core CPU Performance Test
Cinebench R 37 MP
Cinebench R 23 MP
Cinebench R 22 MP
GeekBench 5 Multi Core
1-Core CPU Performance Test
Cinebench R 30 SP
Cinebench R 22 SP
Cinebench R 20 SP
GeekBench 5 Single Core
Graphics Card Performance Test
3DMark FireStrike
3DMark FireStrike Extreme
3DMark TimeSpy DX 14
3DMark Port Royal Raytracing
GeekBench 5 OpenCL
GeekBench 5 Vulkan
Other Performance and Gaming tests
PCMark 11
Design and Creators Test – SPECViewPerf 15
The Division 2
CrystalDiskMark SSD
Temperatures
During stress test, the Helios 286 barely reached 52 ºC In the external area, specifically on the keyboard, it is a very good temperature that does not interfere at all in the operation and use of the PC.
Of course, in return, the laptop is quite noisy, even at the desk it is clearly audible and certainly not a laptop to take to a library.
Internally, the processor does not exceed 97 ºC never due to Thermal Throttling that forces you to slow down earlier. In other computers we have seen higher temperatures of this processor, but in this case the 97 ºC seem to be the top.
The GPU, even with OC, stays cool in temperatures around 69 ºC.
Analysis and Conclusion
It has been just a year since we analyzed the previous version of this ACER Predator Helios 315 . In between, the new AMD Ryzen processors for laptops and the 10th generation of Intel Core have arrived. However, while some brought a new architecture, Intel models, especially the Core i7 – 10750 H that integrates this renewal of the laptop, hardly suppose any improvement with respect to the Core i7 – 9750 H and in fact it is far from what they offer Competitor models like the Ryzen 7500 H.
In the graphic part we continue the same, with a RTX 2060, the most basic model of the RTX family that in this team receives a push with its OC mode maintaining low temperatures and extra performance, but without changes with respect to the model from a year ago.
Aesthetically there are some fairly slight changes that will go unnoticed at first glance, however, internally, we do have some interesting news. The inclusion of a WiFi 6 network card was necessary for a current team like this, and the Killer 1911 It is a good choice.
Go to 3. 255 MHz of memory is not an improvement That is especially noticeable, but it does bring it up to date. It is true that the asymmetric configuration of 20 + 4GB is a bit strange, but It will always give us the option to increase the memory when using standard SODIMM modules.
We have an SSD of 642 GB with good performance and the option of adding another easily, although it does not have the heatsinks of the last generation, and the flex cable is not included to take advantage of the available 2.5 “bay. Some shortcomings remain, such as the absence of Thunderbolt 3, something understandable considering the price range, but others such as the lack of a reader of cards has no excuse.
It is clear that whoever already has the previous version of Helios 313 with the Core i7 – 10750 H It does not have any significant incentive to change to this model, However, the update to Intel tenth generation was mandatory to be able to continue in the catalog of this 2060. In fact, if we place it within the current market, the ACER Predator Helios 300 PH 347 – 59 is a team whose greatest asset is its price, the 1. 300 euros that costs the version similar to the one analyzed, but with 20 GB DDR4 – 2996 and 1 TB of SSD put it in a good position in the market, offering a good performance for games and the possibility of enjoying the technologies integrated in the NVIDIA RTX graphics without having to pay large sums of money.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
British cable manufacturer The Chord Company launched a new sub-brand in the spring: English Electric. The first product is an audiophile switch of 499 that should get the best out of sound equipment with a network connection. We immediately tested that ourselves, but we were also looking for three readers who wanted to get started with the 8Switch. Today we share the findings of our test panel!
English Electric 8Switch
The English Electric is an 8-port Gigabit Streaming Switch with extra care taken to critical areas. Internally, attention has been paid to low and high frequency noise isolation and the internal clock. The 8Switch uses a custom TCXO (Temperature Compensation Crystal Oscillator) with an accuracy of 0.1ppm. That is a much better value than regular crystals, which according to the manufacturer ensures a more stable data transmission and a decrease in jitter. An EMI absorber ensures that electromagnetic interference is further reduced. The better performance, approach to (electro) mechanical influences and the reduction of jitter (90% less!) Ensure a step forward in sound quality compared to normal switches.
English Electric 8Switch: housing and power supply
The housing of the 8Switch has of course also received more attention than the housing of a normal switch. The box is made of aluminum and provides good protection against mechanical and electrical influences. The feet ensure that there is a mechanical disconnection from the surface.
The medical-grade power supply is designed to reduce electrical noise and prevent grid irregularities from affecting the switch. The 8Switch comes standard with a high quality The Chord Company C-Stream 0, 75 M network cable worth 50 Euro for optimal performance.
English Electric 8Switch: Touch & Try Home Test Anyway, enough about the specifications and the backgrounds. Time to discover how you liked the 8Switch! On the following pages you will find the reader reviews of Jan van der Meij, Â Mart and Anita van der Vlugt, and Niek Wilkens, who recently were given ample time to become acquainted with the accessory.
ARM processors from the Chinese manufacturer Rockchip such as the RK 3399 (Pro) are used in Chromebooks and embedded systems as well as on single-board computers such as NanoPi M4, Odroid-N1 and RockPro 64 are used.
At an event for developers Rockchip has now announced the RK 3588, which compared to the RK 3399 has more and significantly stronger ARM computing cores: Instead of two Cortex-A 72 – and four Cortex- A 53 – Cores therefore each have four Cortex-A 76 and Cortex-A 55 are used. This CPU configuration is similar to that of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx for notebooks and Snapdragon 53 for smartphones and tablets, which, however, clock at over 2.6 GHz .
Faster GPU, PCIe 3.0 Also other functional blocks of the system-on- Chip (SoC) RK 3588 Rockchip has significantly improved compared to the RK 3399: So an ARM Mali GPU with four new “Odin” cores (MP4) and a stronger Neural Processing Unit (NPU) are to be used. Via HDMI 2.1 the RK 3588 can control two displays at the same time, the resolutions up to 8K with 60 Hz display refresh rate or 4K / 120 p. In addition, displays can be connected via MIPI DSI and eDP.
According to the advance information that CNX-Software.com reports from the Rockchip Developer Conference (RKDC), the memory controller is for up to 32 GByte RAM of the types LPDDR4X or LPDDR5 designed.
Per PCI Express 3.0 x4, the RK 3588 can connect, for example, fast NVMe SSDs; SATA 6G and USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit / s) as well as Gigabit Ethernet (via RGMII, i.e. with a separate Phy-Chip) are also planned.
During the 2016 Preceding RK 3399 still with 28 – nanometer technology is produced, Rockchip allows the RK 3588 with 8 nanometer Manufacture structures. Actually, the RK 3588 was already planned for 2020, Rockchip (Fuzhou Ruixin Micro-Electronic Co. Ltd.) but not now either.
ASRock has introduced a second mini PC series with AMD’s Ryzen mobile processors 4000 U alias Renoir, intended for end customers . The models Mars 4000 U are marked with 26 mm height flatter than the 4X4 BOX – 4000, but still have space for a 2.5-inch data carrier thanks to the wider housing – a fast PCI Express SSD (PCIe 3.0 x4) can also be installed in an M.2 slot.
To Mars – 4000 U- PCs installed by ASRock all Renoir CPUs from the four-core Ryzen 3 4300 U to the eight-core Ryzen 7 4800 U with 10 Threads thanks to Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) including an integrated Radeon Vega graphics unit. A radial fan keeps the processor at the right temperature. There are also up to 64 GByte DDR4 – 3200 – RAM in the form of two SO-DIMMs in dual-channel. An M.2 E-Key slot optionally houses a WLAN card such as Intel’s AX 200 for Wi-Fi 6.
ASRock Mars 4000 U (4 pictures ) (Image: ASRock) Few display connections Compared to the 4X4 BOX – 4000 ASRock makes significant cuts in the connections: on USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C with data transfers of 10 GBit / The manufacturer does not use s and DisplayPort Altmode, instead there are five USB 3.2 Gen 1 with 5 GBit / s, including a Type-C port, and two USB 2.0 Type A. The Type-C connection does not support Altmode, so users can only use an HDMI 2.0 and D-Sub to connect monitors. That is enough for one Ultra and Full HD display with 60 Hertz .
Realteks Soundchip ALC 233 for connecting a headset, Gigabit Ethernet and an SD card reader round off the equipment. The .
Manufacturers usually sell mini PCs like the Mars 4000 U as barebone systems without memory. ASRock does not comment on availability and prices in the press release. Most recently the mini-PCs of the 4X4 BOX – 4000 disappeared again from the German trade and also competitor models like Asus’ PN 26 with Ryzen 4000 U are poorly available. A look at the notebook market leads to the assumption that AMD cannot deliver enough mobile processors.
Vodafone intends to concentrate more on upgrading its own cable networks in the future when it comes to fiber optic expansion in Germany. A company spokesman confirmed a corresponding report by the Rheinische Post on Thursday. “In the future, we will rededicate parts of our previous fiber optic activities and bring them into the cable network.”
In return, Vodafone is reducing the recruitment of new fiber optic coverage areas in its “GigaGemeinde” and “GigaGewerbe” programs, in which the fiber-optic lines up to relocated to the customer. The focus in this area is on increasing the order backlog for 150. 000 households and 23. 000 company to process. “Here, over the next 15 months, we want to finish building what has been asked of us.”
Bottlenecks in the backbone network? New fiber optic projects are to be acquired “primarily in the area of funded community projects and commercial areas based on great customer demand” will. With the change in strategy, Vodafone is also responding to the needs of customers who are brought into the Internet via TV cable. Vodafone offers maximum speeds of one gigabit per second, but in a number of cases this cannot be made continuously available. Especially at peak times in the evening, the provider has difficulties making the high bandwidth available across the board. This indicates bottlenecks in the backbone network that could be eliminated with targeted fiber optic expansion.
“We want to meet the bandwidth hunger with investments,” the “Rheinische Post” quotes a Vodafone spokesman. “To this end, we are now redirecting future parts of our previous fiber optic activities.
ASRock has now presented Mars 4000 U to the public. The new mini computer has an AMD Ryzen 4000 U-Series APU and can be used with up to 64 GB DDR4 – 3200 – RAM (SO-DIMM). A total of seven USB ports can also be used. There is one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A and two USB 2.0 interfaces on the front. There are two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A sockets on the back. In addition, the Mars 4000 U supports PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 NVMe SSDs and 2.5-inch SATA hard drives (6Gb). An SD card reader can also be used.
For the transmission of the image to a monitor, either an HDMI connection (4K @ 60 Hz) or a D-Sub cable (1920 x 1080) be used. A Realtek ALC 233 – VB2 chip ensures the right sound. The network connection is implemented through an RJ 45 – Gigabit-L connection. In addition, an Intel AX 200 – Wi-Fi-6 module is built into the Mars 4000 U. The dimensions of the mini PC are 194 mm x 150 mm x 26 mm, which corresponds to around 0.7 liters. A Windows 10 is used as the operating system.
The new ASRock calculator can be used with a 4800 U (8 cores / 16 Threads, Turbo 4.2 GHz) as well as with a 4500 U (6 Cores / 6 Threads, Turbo 4 GHz) and a 4300 U (4 Cores 4 / Threads, Turbo 3.7 GHz).
It is not yet known when Mars will appear in stores. The manufacturer also gave no information about the recommended retail price.
A company spokesman for the network operator Vodafone commented on Thursday about the company’s future strategy in terms of fiber optic expansion. Among other things, it was said that in the future parts of the previous fiber optic activities were to be converted and put into their own cable network.
The company thus confirmed previously published reports by the Rhenish Post, according to which Vodafone will multiply in the future wants to concentrate on improving existing networks. The shift in priorities primarily brings disadvantages for regions and municipalities that are already suffering from poor connections or no connections at all. Vodafone wants to reduce its programs “GigaGemeinde” and “GigaGewerbe”. These are about laying new fiber optic cables directly to the customer on request. In the near future, however, they want to concentrate on the orders that have already been placed and bring them to a conclusion.
In the future, new glass fiber projects are to be created especially there where there are funded community projects or commercial areas with particularly high customer demand. Instead, Vodafone wants to concentrate its resources in the medium term on enabling better connections for customers who have access to the network via TV cable. This mainly affects customers in metropolitan areas who theoretically have access to a speed of up to one gigabit per second, but often cannot use this reliably. Especially at peak times, such as in the evening, the provider has problems serving the high demand for bandwidth. With a targeted fiber optic expansion in these areas, the bottlenecks in the backbone network could be addressed.
ASRock has announced the thinnest mini PC to date that integrates AMD processors 4000 U, Mars 4300 U Series.
We could already see a few months ago the plans that the manufacturer had for these low-power processors, when they implemented them in their mini PC 4×4 BOX – 4000. Now, ASRock wants to integrate them in an even smaller format, in only 0.7 liters of volume , it is the mini PC ASRock Mars 4300 U Series . These barebones come with support for AMD Ryzen 3 processors 4300 U, Ryzen 5 4500 U and 4600 U, Ryzen 7 4700 U and Ryzen 7 4800 U. Up to can be added GB of RAM through two slots, as well as an M.2 2280 PCIe and another 2.5 “slot SATA, although it will be necessary to choose one of the latter two as they overlap.
Maintain a total of 7 USB ports (one of them USB-C) and incorporate an SD card reader. Similarly, we find an RJ- 45 Gigabit and one slot for the module WiFi + Bluetooth in the usual M.2 format 2280 .As image outputs, the ASRock Mars 2280 U Series They offer an HDMI and a D-Sub, while for sound we have the usual audio output and microphone input.
MODEL
CORES / WIRE
TDP (
BOOST / BASE (GHz)
RADEON ™ GRAPHICS
GPU CORES
L2 / L3 CACHE (MB)
AMD Ryzen ™ 7 4800 U
8C / 16 T
15 W
Up to 4.2 / 1.8 GHz
Radeon ™ Graphics
8
12
AMD Ryzen ™ 7 4700OR
8C / 8T
15 W
Up to 4.1 / 2.0 GHz
Radeon ™ Graphics
7
13
AMD Ryzen ™ 5 4600 OR
6C/12 T
15 W
Up to 4.0 / 2.1 GHz
Radeon ™ Graphics
6
11
AMD Ryzen ™ 5 4500OR
6C / 6T
15 W
Up to 4.0 / 2.3 GHz
Radeon ™ Graphics
6
11
AMD Ryzen ™ 3 4300OR
4C / 4T
15 W
Up to 3.7 / 2.7 GHz
Radeon ™ Graphics
5
6
The manufacturer has not disclosed prices of these small barebones with the Ryzen 4000 U , although they will surely come to compete with the recently sighted Gigabyte AMD BRIX.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
Pablo López
With 15 years I started to overclock my PC to get every extra FPS I could in games and scratch a few milliseconds in SuperPi, while I was constantly posting about hardware on the Geeknetic forum as a user and reader. They must have been so fed up with continually reading me on the forum that I became part of the writing team, where I continue to report on the latest in technology. Astrophysics and PC games are the hobbies that, after hardware, cover most of my free time.
Whether we’re talking about desktops or notebooks, their performance depends on the performance of all components, from the processor and graphics card to the system cooling, storage or RAM. And when we talk about performance or competition, the talent and experience of the user of the desktop or notebook must be supported by a balanced system, in which all components are designed to serve the same purpose. Nothing new under the sun, I would say, this is true in any field, since ancient times.
Only when we are talking about some more recent competitive activities, such as eSports, the progress of the different components did not take place simultaneously, some with a considerable advance, while in the case of others the necessary technology has become available only recently, if we refer to the existence of PCs in general.
Thus, processors and graphics cards have constantly developed in the last 25 years, systems cooling closely following this development. Then it was the turn of storage to evolve, the last 12 years bringing impressive progress in this regard. Thus, the computers of the year 2020 are equipped with incredibly powerful processors and graphics cards, ultra-fast SSDs, certified sources 80 + Titanium and impressive amounts of memory, WiFi 6 has appeared on mainstream motherboards and slowly, slowly we are witnessing the assault of network cards 10 Gigabit.
However, for competitive gaming we need something else, namely a monitor with a refresh rate as high as possible, and the evolution of these monitors, as I told you In another article, it was a bit slower than what I could see in the case of processors, video cards or storage units. Fortunately, in recent years, monitors have been launched that offer the perfect balance between image quality and refresh rate, and this year we can even discuss a democratization of the field, with the appearance of such monitors that can boast a report enviable quality / price.
The first model of ASRock’s Mars 4000 U-series uses the Ryzen 5 4500 U APU circuit, but the computer’s motherboard always supports the processors Ryzen 7 4800 Up to U.
Computers in the so-called NUC size class have developed in recent years mainly in the direction of larger models. However, ASRock has now released an invigorating exception in the form of the new Mars 4000 U-series.
According to the company, the Mars 4000 U-series minicomputers are the world’s thinnest minicomputer with an AMD processor. The strategic dimensions of the housing are therefore difficult 194 x 150 x 26 millimeters. However, a full-blooded computer with an AMD Ryzen 4000 U-series APU circuit is pounding in its heart.
The first model in the series is Mars 4500 U, which, as the name implies, has the Ryzen 5 4500 U APU circuit (6 cores, 6 threads, 6 CU Vega graphics controller), but the FP6D4-P1 motherboard it uses supports the Ryzen 7 4800 U at its best. The inside of the minicomputer has two SO-DIMM slots that support at best 64 GB of DDR4 memory, one M.2 port, and one slot for a SATA bus. For a 2.5-inch SSD or hard drive, and an Intel AX 200 Wi-Fi 6 card.
The computer’s connector range includes HDMI and VGA outputs, a microphone and headphone jack, one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C connector, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A connectors and two USB 2.0 connectors, a gigabit network connector, a power connector and an SD card reader. The case is equipped with VESA mounts, but the package also includes a foot that allows you to mount the computer upright.
ASRock has not yet said when the Mars series can be found in stores, or their future pricing.
Source: ASRock
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
