W.I.L. Hardware Tech-News Highlights for 2008: 1

Systems

Ars Technica's System Guides have been updated - link.

Five reasons not to fear a $200 Linux PC – link.

Sears offers cheap pre-installed Freespire Linux PCs – link.

How low on PC specs can you go and still run Linux? – link.

It looks like a toy, but the Eee PC Linux mini-notebook has inspired a growing community of hardware mod devotees - link.

Dell releases new Ubuntu-powered high-end laptop: XPS 1330n – link. • Dell adds new notebook to Ubuntu lineup - link.

Best Buy starts selling Linux laptops - link.

The One Laptop Per Child XO laptop reviewed: a lot to like, but needs work – link.

It is not like anyone has asked for Windows XP to run on the Linux-powered One Laptop Per Child XO laptop, but Microsoft is getting ready to deliver it to us anyway – link.

Why Apple's ultraslim new laptop disappoints – link.

CPUs, motherboards, chipsets

17 dual-core processors tested to answer the most important question the users ask these days: what solution is the best choice from the consumer standpoint basing on their price, performance and power consumption – link.

– AMD

AMD tests 45nm CPUs, plans revenue shipments in 2008 – link.

AMD takes wraps off the anxiously awaited "B3" revision of its Phenom processor, in a launch that will hopefully mark the beginning of a turn-around for the chipmaker's beleaguered quad-core line - link.

Is AMD's 780G the best ever mainstream chipset with integrated GPU? - link. • AMD's 780G is the new standard that Intel and nVidia will have to try to equal or exceed in 2008 - link.

AMD: To merge or not to merge? - link.

– Intel

Intel launches first chip to pack more than 2 billion transistors – link.

Intel's new dual-core Core 2 Duo E8500, E8400 and E8200 processors on 45nm cores are great from all stand points – link.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 CPU has a number of indisputable advantages - review.

Celeron E1200 dual-core CPU outperformed by dual-core AMD offerings priced the same – review.

– Other

Isaiah revealed: VIA's new low-power architecture. VIA is promising 2-4 times the performance of C7 while staying within the same power and thermal envelope – link. Discussion here.

Graphics

Intel releases open 965/G35 integrated graphics processors NDA-free programming documentation - link.

AMD unveils new lineup of affordable ($45 to $99) ATI Radeon graphics cards – link.

ATI's HD3850 and HD3870 graphics cards offer improved acoustics and power efficiency - link.

Memory, storage

The future of solid state storage – link.

Seagate's CEO doubts higher reliability of solid-state drives (SSDs), claims HHDs can achieve similar performance – link.

External SATA interconnection to be single cable for data and power – link.

Roundup: Five 2.5" 250GB HDDs based on platters that use 2nd-generation perpendicular recording technology – link.

Western Digital's Caviar Green Power 750GB, 5,400 RPM Low Power HDD is the quietest desktop drive and most efficient drive Silent PC Review has ever tested – review.

Hitachi's Global Storage Deskstar 7K1000 1TB HDD still features the largest capacity, and the best (or very close to best) performance on the market, a year after its release. As a system drive or in heavy-use scenarios, it is still not quiet enough compared to the competition – review.

Cases, power supplies, cooling

Antec's Mini P180 Advanced Super mini tower case features a 200mm case fan which sets a limit on how quiet a system can be made - review.

Seasonic's Eco Power 300 is one of the few good quality 300W PSUs on the market – review.

Seasonic's M12II-430 modular cable PSU is an excellent choice (one of many) for a midrange modular PSU, and it is sure to be quiet under most circumstances - review.

Sparkle Power's 250W ATX12V 80 Plus SPI250EP PSU is an excellent, no-fuss, solution for a quiet, low power system. For the green-and-silent PC system builder, this is a very useful product - link.

Gigabyte G-Power II Pro cooler boasts universal design, requires elementary installation procedure, is compact at the base, noiseless at minimum fan rotation speed and very quiet at maximum fan rotation speed – review.

Arctic Cooling's Alpine 7 Pro Socket 775 CPU heatsink makes up in low noise and value ($16) what it lacks in performance. With a cool CPU it has great potential – review.

Arctic Cooling's Accelero S1 fanless GPU cooler is hard not to recommend to just about everybody, as long as it is compatiable with your GPU and case. It is a great performer, both passive and actively-cooled, and an unbeatable value at $20 – review.

Arctic Cooling's Accelero S2 GPU cooler + Turbo Module is a highly proficient cooler. With the very recent introduction of the Accelero S1 Rev. 2, which expands the S1's compatibility to all the cards that the S2 fits, the S2 seems almost redundant – review.

Researchers at Purdue and Intel have developed heat dissipation technology that they claimed could boost the performance of chip-cooling systems by up to 200% - link.

Miscellaneous components and periferals

Scythe's Kama Bay Amp SDA-1000 PWM digital power amplifier is suitable for hi-fi enthusiasts who use a PC as their primary source of audio but want the wider selection and better quality of regular unpowered speakers. Avid music listeners should be thrilled. Wireless-crazy households need not apply - review.

Two quiet mice from Quiet Mouse, for those who care – review.

Choosing an ink-level monitor – link.

Toybox: Light-weight Linux box very useful – link.

Tiny Asus Eee packs a big punch - review. • Make your Asus Eee PC cooler with these software tweaks - link.

Enhance your music player with Rockbox OS - link.