Intel’s ULV chips have come a long way in the past couple of years and made it possible for ultrabooks to deliver performance beyond good enough for mainstream users.

However, those of us who want a really portable machine that can also kick butt when it comes to processing video and images or maybe even playing a game or two have to look beyond ultra at the moment.

That won’t true for much longer. According to Fudzilla, Nvidia’s Kepler class of GPUs will be in some of the second generation ultrabooks.

This means users will get the benefit of a discrete graphics card but won’t have to sacrifice long battery life. This new class of GPUs will come with Optimus technology, which switches between integrated and discrete graphics automatically when needed.

Fudzilla’s sources say that Acer and ASUS will be in on this deliciousness, and Liliputing points out that the IdeaPad U410, coming in May, is supposed to have GMA 610 graphics.

If this does happen, ultrabooks will get a nice boost in performance. It’s not likely to be so great that you’ll be zooming through Batman: Arkham City at 100fps. However, if you’re a mobile professional who does some graphics work, it may mean the difference between going with an ultrabook or going with a heavier, bulkier system.

The Kepler class of chips will begin shipping in April, so we won’t see ultrabooks with switchable graphics until the spring or summer.

Switchable Graphics Coming To Ultrabooks Soon? is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

3D may not be gaining as much traction with mainstream consumers as companies wish, but PC gamers are all over it. And with the announcement of the new 3D Vision 2 technology from Nvidia, it’s about to get even better.

3D Vision 2 glasses have larger lenses (20% increase in size) and better light blocking than the first generation. They still fit over many prescription glasses, so even those of us who don’t rock the contacts can experience an immersive 3D experience.

Nvidia’s LightBoost technology also brightens things up overall, so you’ll see more detail in the games you play as well as being able to find the keys on your keyboard without having to flip the glasses up.

Overall the glasses are just more comfortable to wear as well. And they still look good. 3D Vision 2 glasses will work with first gen 3D vision devices, so you won’t have to buy a completely new setup.

You may want to, anyway, as the technology is also in new 3D vision panels that allow for full HD 3D and reduced 3D ghosting (which is the cause of headaches when dealing with 3D media). Among the first notebooks to take advantage of 3D Vision 2 are the Toshiba Qosmio X770/X775 and Satellite P770/775 models, which comes bundled with a pair of the new glasses.

Full kits (glasses + emitter) will cost $149 and extra glasses alone are $99.

At Comicon yesterday I watched some con-goers play the Xbox version of Batman: Arkham City, which is still pretty sweet, but it wasn’t as awesome as playing with the 3D glasses on. I got to try this a few weeks ago and was really impressed with the technology. Utilizing the latest Nvidia GeForce GTX GPUs, PCs can take best advantage of DirectX 11 and GPU PhysX for fast, smooth, and detailed gameplay.

Batman is a good game for seeing the difference, as you not only have some incredibly detailed character CGI going on, but they also have to move swiftly and realistically. Plus, the environment has to be top notch as well. Thanks to Nvidia GPUs the CG world has a lot more intricate detail and depth, like Poison Ivy’s vines pulsating with creepy veins and energy.

Aside from that, there are over 500 games compatible with 3D Vision 2, including Portal 2, Duke Nukem Forever, and Fable III. And there are a slew a new games coming up built to work with 3D Vision 2.

If you’re a gamer, you need to try doing it in 3D. And among the current 3D choices for media, Nvidia has the most impressive technology I’ve seen in both the glasses and on the hardware side.

Nvidia’s 3D Vision 2 Brings Extra Dimension to Batman: Arkham City is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Alienware M18X in Red

The Alienware M18x comes factory overclocked at an amazing 4.0GHz Intel Core i7 Extreme quad core processor, up to 16GB DDR3 1600 MHz RAM or 32GB DDR3 RAM 1333MHz and 1.5TB hard drive options or a 512GB SSD. Dell allows you to max out the Alienware M18X with 5.1 performance audio, optional WirelessHD Display for HDMI quality wireless connectivity to your HDTV and USB 3.0 ports for faster data connectivity.

The Alienware M18x is getting an upgrade that lets you choose between a single Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M GPU with 2GB GDDR5 RAM and dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M GPUs with 4GB GDDR5 RAM in SLI configuration for incredible power in a portable package.

Sample Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M GPU performance

While you’re on the go, enjoy the spacious 18.4″ display on the M18X with a 1080P HD resolution. Thanks to the powerful GPU you can play in 1080P without turning down the details.

Improvements

The new Alienware M18X isn’t just toting the latest Nvidia GPU into the fragfest, it also brings a few new physical changes to the party. The new keyboard centered touchpad should eliminate errant mouse movement while gaming. The display has  anew edge rubber seal which is designed to complement the refined look of the Alienware line which is sleeker, but not small enough to be called thin. Rounding out the enhancements is the new Alienware TactX Macro Keys, which allow you to customize 5 keys to for easy access to up to 15 distinct functions per game.

Alienware M18X Gallery

Alienware M18X Lands With Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Performance FPS Benchmark

The new Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M GPU delivers a host of great gaming features that will necessitate a keyboard drool cleanup after reading what Nvidia has packed into the latest high-end gaming GPUs. The GeForce GTX 580M GPU brings up to 384 Cuda Cores and up to 2GB GDDR5 RAM to the party in order to deliver a 30% FPS boost over the competition.

“The best game support. The best gaming features. The best gaming performance available anywhere. That’s the essence of the GeForce GTX 580M,” said Rene Haas general manager of notebook products at NVIDIA in a press release announcing the new GPUs, adding, “With power like this, you can turn all the knobs to 11.”

Nvidia GTX 580M Crysis 2 Demo with Ultra Settings

Be sure to crank the resolution up to 1080P if you want to see the details.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M Features

• 3D Vision – Access to 525 3DTV ready titles
• Nvidia Optimus – Automatically switch between GPUs – “5 hours on Facebook, 100FPS in COD:Black Ops”
• DirectX11 – Direct X 11 support.
• PhysX - More detailed and realistic gameplay through physics.
• SLI – Double down with SLI configurations for 2x Scaling.
• Enhanced Tessellation – See greater detail in-game.
• Verde Drivers – Optimized, often updated drivers.

Example of Tessellation with the GeForce GTX 580M

Nvidia GTX 580M Equipped Notebooks

• Alienware M18X – optional SLI
• Alienware M17X – with Optimus
• Clevo P170HM3 – with Nvidia 3D Vision
• Clevo P270WM – with Nvidia 3D Vision, optional SLI

GeForce GTX 570M Announced

In addition the flagship GTX 580M GPU, Nvidia has also announced the Nvidia GTX 570M GPU which delivers a 20% boost in performance compared to previous generations thanks to the availability of up to 336 Cores, and either 1.5GB or 3GB of GDDR5 RAM. The first notebook to sport the new Nvidia GeForce GTX 570M GPU will be the MSI GT780R.

Availability of GTX 580M & GTX 570M Equipped Notebooks

The Alienware M18X is available starting today with the new NVIDIA Geforce GTX 580M with shipments starting in about a week. The Clevo models have no announced pricing or availability. The Alienware M17X will soon be available for order with the GTX 580M GPU, but no specific date has been given.

The MSI GT780R with the new GeForce GT570M is available starting today worldwide.

Additional announcements are expected in the coming days regarding increased availability and pricing of systems.

MSI GTX 580M GTX 570M Specs

Nvidia Launches GTX 580M – “Fastest. Notebook GPU. Ever.” is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Toshiba Qsmio X770 Quick Specs

The Toshiba Qosmio X770 and X7703D are powered by Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors capable of Turbo boosting to faster speeds when you really need more power and support up to 8GB RAM. The Qosmio X770 notebooks will use the latest NVIDIA GTX 560M GPU which delivers high frame rates, full HD gaming and DirectX 11 support for gaming and power for multimedia creation. The X770 supports Nvidia Optimus to automatically switch between the NVIDIA GPU and the integrated Intel GPU to deliver battery life or raw processing power depending on your current use.

The Qosmio X770 gaming notebooks have a 17.3″ display with a Full 1080P HD resolution and on the X770 3D the NVIDIA 3D Vision software will bring gaming and movies to a new level with full stereoscopic 3D gaming when paired with the included wireless active shutter 3D glasses. The Qosmio X770 3D is capable of 3D Blu-Ray playback, 2D to 3D movie conversion, 3D gaming and output to a 3DTV

Toshiba Qosmio X770 Hands On Video

Toshiba Qosmio X770 Features

In addition to the 3D gaming and multimedia features present on the Qosmio X7703D, both of the X770 models come with a collection of multimedia and usability features.

• harman/kardon speakers and subwoofer with MaxxAudio 3 by Waves Audio
• Island style keyboard with red LED backlighting
• USB 3.0 port for faster connectivity
• Toshiba Sleep & Music – Plug your MP3 player into the Mic jack to use your computer’s speakers when it is turned off
• USB Sleep & Charge – Plug in your smart phone to charge up while your computer is off.

Toshiba Qosmio X770 and X770 3D Pricing & Availability

The Qosmio X770 starts at $1,199 and will be available later in June from retailers and online from Toshiba. Select retailers will also have access to the Toshiba Qosmio X7703D which starts at $1,899.

Toshiba Qosmio X770 and X770 3D Gallery

Toshiba Qosmio X770 and X770 3D Deliver Gaming Goodness at $1,199 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

New Notebooks for the Week of June 3rd

• ASUS Shows Off Republic of Gamers G53SX Naked Eye 3D Notebook
  ASUS is showing of some new 3D gaming notebooks at Computex, including their new Republic of Gamers G53SX Naked Eye 3D. They call it the “world’s first naked-eye 3D laptop meaning you can have 3D gaming or video without the need for those annoying 3D glasses.
• MSI F Series Gains FX620DX and FX420 with Quad Core Options, GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA
  MSI showed off a wide array of new notebooks at Computex this week including updates to the premium F series line of notebooks. The new MSI F620DX notebook and the FX420 are what MSI calls the “supercar of laptops,” due to a collection of performance, looks and multimedia options.
• ASUS Announces ROG G74Sx 3D Gaming Notebook
  ASUS announced a new 3D gaming notebook for the hard-core gamer called the ASUS G74Sx. It is part of the Republic of Gamers (ROG) line which is designed for serious gamers who want the power to run any game they choose anywhere they please.
• MSI CX640, CX670 and CX480 C Series Notebooks Arrive w/ Latest Intel and AMD Processors
  MSI announced a trio of new notebooks in the C Series lineup at Computex 2011 this week. The new C Series notebooks include the MSI CX640 as well as the MSI CX670 and CX480 which have 15.6″ displays.
• MSI X460 Arrives with Slim Design, Sandy Bridge & GeForce GT540M
  MSI announced a collection of new notebooks at Computex 2011 including the MSI X460, the latest addition to the MSI X Series of notebooks. This new X series notebook packs a decent amount of power into a size that looks like a perfect fit for students.
• Lenovo Unveils IdeaPad U300s UltraBook at Computex
  Intel is doing all it can to push the new UltraBook platform and it appears that they have convinced Lenovo to get on board with the IdeaPad U300s/U3s Ultrabook at Computex 2011.
• Dell Latitude E6420 XFR and ATG Bring Rugged Power to Police and Professionals
  Dell has just announced the Dell Latitude E6420 XFR fully rugged notebook and the Dell Latitude E6420 ATG semi-rugged notebook with the latest Intel Sandy Bridge processors and discrete graphics. These rugged and semi-rugged notebooks aren’t just designed to be standalone tools, but rather full solutions for users that need to meet specific needs.
• MSI GT683 Gaming Notebook Arrives with NVIDIA GTX 560M GPU and $1,599 Price
  MSI has unveiled the MSI GT683, first notebook to ship with the NVIDIA GTX 560M GPU, both of which were announced at Computex 2011 this week.
• ASUS UX21 UltraPortable Tries to Out-Air the MacBook Air (Video)
  ASUS introduced a the new UX Series notebooks at Computex 2011 today, showing off the ASUS UX Series ultraportable notebook which measures 17mm at the thickest point and 3mm at the thinnest and weighs 2.4 pounds. One look at the ASUS UX and it will be clear to you which notebook the company is going after.

Notebook News for the Week of June 3rd

• Apple Handling Early Malware Threats More Aggressively Than Microsoft
  Apple released an update yesterday that deals with the MacDefender problem and also will help you avoid future infections. It adds a new tool to the security features of OS X that daily updates a list of known malware.
• Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Cleans Viruses and Malware
  Microsoft has released the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper, a new tool that works alongside Microsoft Security Essentials, as an advanced system cleaner. If you have a difficult to remove malware or virus problem, this new tool from Microsoft may be able to detect and remove the problem.
• Apple Offers MacBook Bottom Case Replacement Program
  Due to an issue affecting the white plastic MacBook model where the bottom plastic cover would separate from the rubber, Apple is offering a case replacement program.
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M Notebooks Arrive Today with Optimus at Gaming SweetSpot
  NVIDIA just announced the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M mobile notebook GPU which is the latest gaming GPU to roll off the lines at NVIDIA with support for Direct X11, NVIDIA PhysX, NVIDIA 3D Vision, 3DTV Play and for the first time NVIDIA Optimus.
• Steve Jobs To Unveil OS X Lion, iOS 5 & iCloud at WWDC
  Steve Jobs will be on hand at WWDC to unveil OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud next week on June 6, 2011 at 10:00 am PDT. OS X Lion and iOS 5 are the next versions of Apple’s operating systems for the computer and mobile devices.
• Intel Attempts to Define Computing Future with Thin “Ultraboooks” Starting under $1,000
  At Computex 2011 Intel announced a new plan to help usher in a new class of thin ultraportable notebooks that cost less than $1,000. Intel is calling these new notebooks “Ultrabooks” and wants to move at least 40% of the consumer notebooks to this thin form factor by the end of 2012.

Smartphone and Tablet News for the week of June 3rd

• Ahead of WWDC, iPhone 6 Rumors Abound
  Ahead of Apple’s annual congregation of developers at WWDC 2011 in San Francisco, California, a destination where the company is expected to showcase the latest features of iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion, rumors of the next-generation iPhone hardware are picking up momentum.
• Crux Loaded Case Turns iPad 2 Into Asus Transformer, But Is It Worth the Price?
  For iPad 2 owners looking on at the Asus Eee Pad Transformer‘s clever laptop dock in envy, Crux is bringing its Crux Loaded case to the second-generation iOS tablet to enable the same functionality.
• 5 Features iOS 5 Needs to Make Me Switch from Android [WWDC]
  What iOS 5 neeeds to stay in competition with Android and convert one of our editors.
• Asus PadFone Details, First Impression & Hands On Video Roundup
  Asus has unveiled a new tablet concept at Computex 2011 called the Asus PadFone, which has an opening in the back that allows you to dock your smartphone to power the tablet, similar to how the Motorola Atrix 4G powers a laptop dock.
• Windows 8 Touch Interface Impresses But Is It Enough?
  Well, Microsoft took the wraps off their touch tablet strategy yesterday and if I had to describe the effort in one word, it would be “impressive”.
• Ever Wanted An HTC Smartphone Running WebOS? Well, You Might Just Get It
  HP’s CEO Leo Apotheker is open to licensing his company’s mobile software, webOS, to companies like HTC.
• Verizon Announces 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Pre-Orders Start June 8th
  Verizon has made the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 official which means that Big Red is finally going to have a 4G LTE capable tablet within its stable of devices.
• High on Apple’s iCloud: Top 5 Reasons to Care Even If You’re Not a Music Lover
  We’ve been talking about iTunes streaming, cloud storage, music streaming, and a digital locker for some time now at GottaBeMobile, and here are the top five things that may shape iCloud, though some of these items may take time to happen.

Weekly Wrapup: Notebook, Tablet and Smartphone News & Reviews (June 3rd) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Naked-Eye 3D Display

How does ASUS do this magical trick of displaying 3D images without need of glasses? Here is what they are saying:

By combining 3D lenticular lens technology with the AUO ‘naked eye’ eye-tracking system, the G53 screen renders full 3D images that can be viewed from any angle for a more comfortable viewing experience. Both 2D and 3D modes can operate on the screen at the same time too, so on-screen text remains clear at all times.

As Tom’s Hardware says, it looks like it is a software thing. Because of this, it can convert 2D images into 3D making it compatible with a lot of games already on the market. Also, the display can render portions of the screen in 3D while keeping other parts in 2D. The benefit is images will be 3D while text, which looks better in 2D, will stay that way making it readable. They are not giving away the technology specifics. As long as it works, the average consumer won’t much care about the tech details.

Powerful Specs

The new G53SX is a 15″ notebook with a full-HD 1920×1080 resolution. It has a quad-core Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge processor, which is a top of the line CPU and should handle the strain of the latest and greatest games as well as hard-core processor intensive tasks like video encoding and playing system-taxing games.

To go along with these specs it has one of the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M graphics processors with 2GB of GDDR5 video RAM and Optimus technology. The new GTX  560M provides powerful video capability and integrated wireless output as well as 3D video over HDMI 1.4.

Throwing in more high-end equipment, ASUS put a hybrid hard drive that adds solid state storage to a traditional optical drive. The SSD portion of the drive will smartly cache the most used files speeding up the system over traditional spinning optical drives. It learns which files you use and places them on this portion of the drive to speed things up. The spinning part of this hybrid drive is no slouch, with a 10,000 RPM rating. That is the fastest available optical drive performance.

Like the other notebooks ASUS is announcing, this one has the dual fan cooling system which sucks in air from the front vents on the notebook and blows it over the hot bits inside exhausting the now hot air out the back.

There is no word on pricing and availability yet, but expect to pay a premium for glasses free 3D.

ASUS Shows Off Republic of Gamers G53SX Naked Eye 3D Notebook is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

MSI FX620DX

The MSI FX620DX is powered by a quad-core Intel Core i7 2nd Gen processor and the FX420 is using an Intel Core i5 dual core 2nd Gen processor. Both of these notebooks can take advantage of Intel TurboBoost for a boost in performance when needed. The FX620DX has a NVIDIA GeForce GT540M GPU with 1GB Video RAM and DirectX 11 support and the FX420 has an AMD Radeon HD 6470 GPU with 1GB RAM and support for DirectX 11. The notebooks both have USB 3.0 for faster connectivity, face recognition software and an on screen function control bar, dubbed the MSI S-Bar which makes it easy to manage on the function options found on the keyboard.

MSI FX620DX and FX420 Features

True-to-life wrap around sound: To enhance sound performance, MSI incorporated its Premium Sound, technology characterized by masterful craftsmanship and uncompromising standards for sound quality, into the FX620DX and FX420 laptop computers to give them unprecedented sound fidelity. What’s more, MSI worked closely with sound design specialists at Creative to incorporate cinema-grade THX TruStudio Pro wrap around sound which reproduces crystal-clear sound regardless of source.

True image and color reproduction: The FX620DX and FX420 incorporate Cinema Pro technology, so with just one click of the Cinema Pro hotkey, they instantly switch to film mode, optimizing your image experience, giving you higher resolution and richer colors to bring you the same great audio experience found in live performances, films, and recording studios.

Multimedia entertainment center: If you prefer to watch HD films on something larger that your computer display, the MSI FX620DX and FX420 come equipped with HDMI slots, so you can connect to LCD TVs with screens of any size to enjoy videos of any resolution level. The FX620DX also sports an HD720p webcam, so you can engage in clear, hiccup-free video conferences with friends and family anywhere in the world.

MSI FX420

Cutting edge technology and style: MSI’s FX620DX and FX420 laptops are graced with MSI’s raised texture chemical-free, environmentally friendly, totem seal coating to protect them against wear, scratching, and smudging. The palm rest areas come with a soft-to-the-touch, raised honeycomb pattern, giving these NBs an extra touch of class. In addition, the unassuming platinum trim around the speakers and chassis, the solid Chiclet keyboard, and the raised multipoint touchpad come together to create notebook computers that epitomize the fusion of high tech and art.

Price and Availability

MSI has not announced pricing or availability of these two notebooks at this time.

MSI F Series Gains FX620DX and FX420 with Quad Core Options, GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Hardcore Specs

This new notebooks will have some serious chops. The ASUS G74Sx is powered by Quad Core 2nd Gen Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors and includes WiMAX technology. For graphics the G74SX uses the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M which will drive the latest games available including titles like Duke Nukem Forever and Crysis. You will also be able to plug the notebook into an external 3D HDTV to get full 3D video and gaming output on a large screen via HDMI 1.4 compatible displays.

The built-in 17.3″ display will be 3D capable as well having a full HD resolution of 1920×1080. The G74Sx will not only be a good gaming system but also a nice entertainment notebook.

Cool Runnings

Because this is a powerful system it needs powerful cooling. The G74Sx will have what ASUS calls “a unique thermal management system”. The chassis has a pair of fans that will cool the CPU and the GPU. It draws the cool air into the front of the system through vents and blows the hot air out the back through another set of vents.

The system will need this extra cooling since it is designed with gamers in mind who like to squeeze every last ounce of power out of a system by over-clocking. The system will have special overclocking features, but ASUS didn’t share particulars.

Pricing and Availability

There is no pricing or available date as of yet.

ASUS Announces ROG G74Sx 3D Gaming Notebook is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

MSI CX640 and CX680

The MSI CX640 and CX680 both use the latest 2nd Gen Intel Core i family of processors and NVIDIA GeForce GT520M discrete graphics with 1GB RAM to deliver a combination of power to these two notebooks. The MSI CX640 has a 15.6″ display and the CX680 has a 14″ display, but the internal configurations are essentially the same. The NVIDIA GPU supports DirectX 11 and includes NVIDIA Optimus to automatically toggle between the integrated Intel graphics and the higher power NVIDIA GPU to maximize performance and battery life. The MSI CX680 has Bluetooth 3.0 and the CX640 can optionally be configured with USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0.

The MSI CX640 and CX680 come with MSI TimeStamp technology to keep your data backed up and you can perform system restorations with the TimeStamp tool if you need to get back to a working state. The CX640 has a “sort of air bag” for the hard drive according to MSI which is designed to help prevent hard drive damage in the event of a fall.

MSI CX670

The MSI CX670 uses an AMD Fusion APU and AMD Radeon HD 6130 discrete graphics to deliver a system optimized for multimedia viewing from the GPU down to the HDMI port and Cinema Pro technology that automatically switches options to maximize the multimedia experience on the CX670. The CX670 has a 720P HD webcam for keeping in touch with friends and family without looking like a pixelated blob. The CX670 comes standard with USB 3.0.

MSI C Series Features

SRS PC Sound: The CX640, CX670, and CX480 come with new generation SRS PC Sound™ for natural wrap around high fidelity sound whether you use the built-in speakers, external ones, or headsets. These laptops will satisfy your craving for crisp, clear sound. The CX670 packs powerful multimedia processing capabilities. You can use MSI’s own professional Cinema Pro technology to maximize graphics performance. Depress the Cinema Pro hotkey to switch to video mode for higher resolution and richer colors for a viewing experience so enjoyable that you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away.

Pricing and Availability

MSI has not announced pricing or availability for the CX640, CX670 or CX480 at this time.

MSI CX640, CX670 and CX480 C Series Notebooks Arrive w/ Latest Intel and AMD Processors is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.