You Need to Know About Intel Sandy Bridge

In line with its tick-tock strategy, Intel's latest Sandy Bridge platform (launched at CES 2011) is a major architectural change which promises significant performance improvements. During the official launch in Singapore today, the company demonstrated just how fast the new chipset is by pitting it against an machine sporting the previous-generation Core i7 processor with a similar configuration. While the latter took over 3 minutes to transcode a HD video, the new PC was able to complete the task in a mere 14 seconds.

But is raw power enough reason to dump your old machine and buy a Sandy Bridge PC now? We answer five most frequently asked questions to help you in your decision.

Can I play games on a Sandy Bridge integrated graphics engine?

In the past, Intel integrated graphics (IGP) focused on offering power efficiency over performance. While the previous generation IGP allowed for high-definition video decoding, it offered barely playable frame rates for 3D gaming even on the lowest settings.

Not so for Sandy Bridge IGP. Despite not sporting a discrete graphics card, a Sandy Bridge laptop was able to play the first person shooter title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, on medium settings with acceptable frame rates. This is great news for MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) fans, as power-hungry discrete graphics are no longer a requirement for online raiding.

Will we see Sandy Bridge Netbooks or slate tablets?

It is unlikely to see widespread adoption in this category as Sandy Bridge was designed for laptops and desktops due to its higher thermal design power (though Acer is reportedly work on one). This means it requires better heat dissipation, which can take a toll on battery life. Smaller machine such as slates and minilaptops such as the Samsung Sliding PC 7 will go with the Intel Oak Trail platform which has a lower operating temperature and higher power efficiency.

When should I upgrade my current machine?

The huge performance boost for multimedia transcoding and photo editing makes this a must-have upgrade for film makers and photographers, drastically shortening the time needed to complete essential tasks.

But if you are already using a previous-generation machine with high-end graphics card for gaming, your current PC is still relevant and upgrading is optional. Same with users who only surf the Internet or perform Microsoft Office-related tasks, as the increase in raw power of the new platform is unlikely to be missed.

When will Macs get onto the Sandy Bridge platform?

While Apple does not comment on future products, we can expect the first roll-out of Sandy Bridge-powered Macs to appear in the next few months. This is even more exciting for those eyeing the 13.3-inch MacBooks, which are still based on the older Core 2 Duo processor with Nvidia integrated graphics. The improvement of Intel's IGP may be the push needed for Apple to finally adopt the Core i chipset in its 13.3-inch MacBook Pro or even the MacBook Air lineup.

How do I tell the difference between older Core i machines and new Sandy Bridge PCs?

The older generation Core i desktop and laptop processors sport a three-digit code followed by a suffix (i.e. 520UM), while the Sandy Bridge CPUs use four digits with a suffix (i.e. 2820QM). However, the easiest way to determine whether a desktop or notebook uses the latest Intel technology is to look at the logo as shown below).

Previous-generation Core i sticker.

Read More

Dell Won’t Talk Australian Mobiles Tablets

Internationally, giant PC manufacturer Dell is expanding into Android-based smartphones and tablets left and right. But, at a press conference in Sydney yesterday, the company locally remained unable to confirm when the incoming wave of Dell devices would hit Australian shores.

The topic came up at a press conference in Sydney yesterday on Dell’s expansion into the IT services market, hosted by the vendor’s local managing director Joe Kremer. While — Kremer acknowledged — the US-based computer manufacturer and IT services provider has launched “some unique devices” in the US, China and India, there’s no certainty of when Australian consumers will gain access to the latest Dell devices.
“We plan to offer a range of mobility devices in Australia. We are unable to confirm at this time when we might launch a smart phone in Australia” a Dell spokesperson said in a separate statement.

When confronted by a direct question about a possible indication of time, Kremer said: “I’ll be very surprised if it doesn’t happen at some point this year”.

In Australia, Dell is new to the mobile market. It launched its first Streak mini-tablet and combination smartphone based on Google’s Android system, back in October last year, giving Optus an exclusive three month start with the device. Kremer said he believes the Streak and the new Dell’s smart phones could be competitive in the long run and complement the company’s IT services and manufacturing businesses.
“If I had asked you six years ago ‘do you think people will go to Apple for mobile phones, what would you have said?” Kremer said yesterday.

The executive added that he didn’t believe laptops and desktops would be cannibalised by their portable competitors, even though many manufacturers, such as Samsung, Motorola, Lenovo, ASUS, LG, Acer, Sharp, Fujitsu and Panasonic are developing and launching tablet devices. “I think [for most people] it’s just a lot easier to have a laptop or a desktop and a substantial screen,” he said. “I don’t know that everyone will rush after a change”.

However, Dell is indeed joining the tablet rush. At the last Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Dell revealed its new Streak 7 tablet. At that time, the company said the device would have been on sale globally. A Dell spokesperson, contacted after the press conference for further details, said the company was planning to introduce a broad range of portable devices in Australia, but couldn’t predict when that might happen.

“We haven’t announced a launch date in Australia for Dell’s 7″ Streak tablet and are unable to speculate when it might be,” they said in a statement. “At this time we are discussing it with the carriers. We have also said we plan to offer a range of mobility devices in Australia”.

Read More