Computex 2010 Roundup: Coverage From The Show Floor

Features
By Dmitry Chekanov, Bestofmedia Team
published

Dmitry Chekanov, managing editor of Tom's Hardware Russia, spent some quality time on the Computex 2010 show floor, complementing the news stories you've been reading all week. This weekend he's sharing what he found in Taipei, Taiwan this year.

Asus' Immensity And Sabretooth

Asus used Computex to announce a new motherboard in its RoG (Republic of Gamers) family called Immensity. This is a high-end LGA 1366 motherboard based on Intel's X58 Express chipset, complemented by Lucid's Hydra chip.

As you probably know, Hydra facilitates the mixing of AMD and Nvidia graphic cards in a multi-GPU system. We've already done a bit of testing with MSI's solution, and didn't come away with stunning results. However, Asus is optimistic about the progress Lucid has made with its drivers.

Immensity also has a graphics processor onboard: ATI's mid-range Radeon HD 5770. In Asus' opinion, enthusiasts buying this board plan on building multi-GPU machines. So, why not start them off right with an integrated GPU? That way, even if you only drop in one discrete card, you'll still have two GPUs working cooperatively. 

If the Hydra’s new drivers work as promised, Immensity should improve performance versus what we've already seen.

Asus also demonstrated a new mainboard (the Sabertooth X58) in its TUF series. This platform is designed for LGA 1366-based CPUs, and follows the TUF design philosophy: high-quality components, surface CeraMX ceramic sinks with larger surface area for heat dissipation, and a 2 oz. copper PCB. Purportedly, this helps improve the board's overclocking performance.

Expansion slots include three PCI Express x16, two PCIe x1, and one PCI. The CPU is driven by an 8+2-phase VRM. The launch date was not announced.

Dmitry Chekanov
20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Wow, some good stuff. However, I find it odd that Intel did(will?) not add USB3 support on the LGA 1155 platform. Maybe saving it for Light Peak? Next, I really liked that SSD exhibit w/ 1 in hot water and 1 in ice. Also, how the hell will ASUS keep a 5770 cool with that puny heatsink? The sad thing is, you gotta sift through the crap and gimmicks to get to the good stuff.
    Reply
  • frye
    So is Intel never going to support USB3? Haswell's after Sandy Bridge, but that's not out till 2013. I'm going to agree with Eugenester that Intel's just going wait until their Light Peak tech's ready.

    Reply
  • Kelavarus
    I really want that SketchBook. Hope they have decent battery life, decent specs, and a nice price.

    It's like an update of one of those HPs. FINALLY!

    Also, Rosewill has had an alkaline charger for a little while now. Works too, if Newegg reviews can be trusted.
    Reply
  • wiinippongamer
    FINALLY a hardware article of this event
    Reply
  • ashkaji
    wiinippongamerFINALLY a hardware article of this event
    Seriously. If I want babes I have a plithora of websites that'll spam me with tatas. I wana know about the tech! :D
    Reply
  • 4ILY45
    Asus's Immensity specs looks good(provided the manage to solve the heat issue) .. 5770 in trifire. YUM!!

    That Gigabit powerline adapter looks promising.. *prays that it has low ping*
    Reply
  • JonnyDough
    Open chassis cases are not at all practical. While it may look cool there are several disadvantages. Dust will settle on the motherboard as there are no filters, you can cut your finger bad on CPU fans and heat-sink fins (so can pets, and a child can get burned on the heat-sink as well). Not to mention someone could spill a drink on it, and the static sensitive parts are exposed.

    If you're going to build a nice rig, it seems it would make sense to protect it. I would rather just have a plain computer workbench for piecing together a system prior to dropping it into a case. Use a clear case if you want to put your components on display.
    Reply
  • JonnyDough
    ashkajiSeriously. If I want babes I have a plithora of websites that'll spam me with tatas. I wana know about the tech!
    No kidding. The booth "babes" really are just that. Babies...children. When I was 24 I was probably already too old to be dating any of them. Some of us realize differences in maturity and don't spend all our time being lustful - there is actually more to great sex than just looks (try a personal connection with someone local who you can actually get to know) and if the sad people who photograph young teenage girls and put them on display for other sad people would just realize this they may actually be able to get a woman and hold onto her. Think a bit deeper than the exterior, don't you think our society is superficial enough? Once a guy can get past the immature sexual discovery years they will hopefully realize that there is so much more to life than obsessing about putting your stick in a hole. i.e. obsessing about amazing leaps forward in science and tech. :)

    I'm not saying its wrong to think about sex, but maybe next time instead of taking so many pictures of silly girls you could snap more photos of what the show is actually ABOUT and lead with THAT.

    Lead with innovation and not with your...

    Now if only GM CEOs had done that.
    Reply
  • JonnyDough
    Alkaline battery charger, great idea. But I hope that after 20 charges the alkaline battery fails to take a charge, as opposed to catching fire or exploding.

    What happens if you put rechargeable batteries in it? Does it use more electricity to recharge the batteries than a normal rechargeable battery? I thought that alkaline batteries had good output but were more resistant to taking a charge? How does a recharged alkaline compare in output power (i.e. will it reproduce proper voltage) and will the batteries run as long per charge compared to a higher end rechargeable battery? I'm all for being environmentally friendly but if it requires burning more coal at a power plant to recharge one it might be better to just recycle your batteries if new ones perform much more optimally. Speaking of which - I would MUCH rather see recycling programs take a real hold here in America for electronic wastes than for a device like this - as this only pertains to one type of electronic tech. Electronics have so many valuable and toxic metals in them.

    It would be great to have broad recycling done right for once, I think the government is so busy addressing other issues all the time that our politicians have failed to properly implement local, state, and federal recycling programs. We could really use statewide and/or nationwide recycling programs! Where I live we have NONE. Heck, get the U.N. to implement some sort of global recycling initiative. Cut back on oil demand and spills, and pollution/cancer rates. Slash our thirst for new metals and mining...and actually be a bit nicer to our environment while reducing our need for new resources. Why bury so many good materials in landfills and pollute our oceans and streams? I just don't get why this hasn't been more of a front burner. We've had recycling capability for over thirty years, but its still small scale.
    Reply
  • I want some specs on those mousepads.
    Reply