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Plextor Launches Low-Cost Digital Video Converter

Fujitsu T671ME-FJ On SiS671FX Officially Enters Mass Production

OCZ Announces Ultra-Quiet StealthXStream 600W PSU

AMD Marks AMD64 Anniversary With A New Opteron Processor

Akita Elpida Memory Develops Thinnest MCP With 20 Stacked Dies

Samsung Develops New Stacking Process For DRAM



Plextor Launches Low-Cost Digital Video Converter

Plextor launched its new ConvertX PX-AV200U digital video converter "with the emphasis on ease of use." It's designed for transferring analogue footage from VHS tapes and footage captured on an analogue camcorder to DVD.

Simply plug it into a PC via USB, attach the analogue source and let the software do the hard work. It enables editing of digital files, creating Hollywood-style movies including transitions and titles, and sharing of CDs, video CDs and DVDs with family and friends.

The Plextor ConvertX box comes complete with Presto’s Digital Converter (converting software) and VideoWorks (video editing and DVD/VCD authoring software). It’s good for novices, yet powerful enough for more experienced users.

Main Features:

  • Converts videotape to DVD quickly and easily
  • Supports MPEG 2/4
  • Plug-n-Play
  • Software included: Presto Digital Converter, VideoWorks
  • Works under Windows XP/Vista
  • 2 year warranty

The Plextor ConvertX PX-AV200U will be available from May 2007 at Plextor’s network of dealers. It is covered by Plextor’s Fast Warranty Service (2-year warranty in the EU, Norway and Switzerland (Collect & Return); other countries 1-year carry-in).

Source: Plextor

Fujitsu T671ME-FJ On SiS671FX Officially Enters Mass Production

SiS today announced that the SiS671FX chipset supporting Windows Vista has been used in Fujitsu T671ME-FJ motherboard and has entered mass production process.

The SiS671FX chipset supports Intel Core 2 Duo, Celeron D, and Pentium 4 processors. Also, it supports DDR2-667 memory, and high bandwidth up to 5.3GB/s. As for the graphics performance, SiS671FX is integrated with the Mirage 3 graphics engine and supports one PCI Express x16 slot.

The SiS968 Southbridge chipset supports PCI Express x1 slot, Serial ATA transmission and 6 USB2.0 ports. Besides, with support of the SiS968, Fujitsu T671ME-FJ features 6-channel audio and Gigabit Ethernet networking.

Source: SiS

OCZ Announces Ultra-Quiet StealthXStream 600W PSU

OCZ Technology Group today announced the new StealthXStream Power Supply. This new 600W PSU features a conservative look with a sleek, black case and fan. Even at peak loads, the 600W StealthXStream remains virtually silent and excludes flashy LEDs ensuring the power supply is not seen or heard.

The StealthXStream features a 120mm fan, a standard ATX power supply form factor. With a sustained output of 600W and four +12V rails to provide uniform distribution of power, the StealthXStream is suited for today's higher-end systems. The StealthXStream is built to provide sufficient output to power dual GPU and CPU platforms, complete with two PCI-Express cables and a 4/8 CPU auxiliary connector which are wrapped in a flexible mesh.

The OCZ StealthXStream provides Universal Input and Active PFC (Power Factor Correction) to effectively regulate input voltage.

All OCZ StealthXStream power supplies come backed with a three year OCZ PowerSwap Warranty.

Specs:

  • 600W Configuration
  • OCZ PowerWhisper Technology
  • Internal 120mm fan
  • 3 year warranty backed by OCZ’s PowerSwap replacement program.
  • 150 x 140 x 86mm
  • ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V
  • OCZ ConnectAll universal connectors:
    • 1 x 20+4Pin ATX
    • 1 x 4-pin/8-pin CPU (supports double CPUs/supplies stable voltage)
    • 2 x PCI-E
    • 6 x 4-pin peripheral
    • 2 x 4-pin floppy
    • 6 x S-ATA
  • High efficiency: 80% @ 115V (Typical load); 83% @ 230V (Typical load)
  • Overvoltage/Overcurrent/Short-Circuit protection
  • Active PFC
  • MTBF:100,000 hours
  • 100~240Vac 10-5A 50/60Hz
  • +3.3V(36A), +5V(30A), +12V1(18A), +12V2(18A), +12V3(18A), +12V4(18A)
  • Part Numbers: 600W - OCZ600SXS; 600W UK Version - OCZ600SXS-UK; 600W Europe Version - OCZ600SXS-EU

Source: OCZ Technology Group

AMD Marks AMD64 Anniversary With A New Opteron Processor

Marking with the fourth anniversary of the launch of the AMD Opteron processor and AMD64 technology, AMD announced widespread availability and pricing for the AMD Opteron Model 2222 and 8222 SE x86 dual-core server processors. The new processor, which is available in several platform configurations today from tier one OEMs, is designed to deliver performance leadership in the critical server functions including Web serving, scalability and floating point calculations.

AMD also disclosed updated performance projections for its upcoming native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors, code-named ‘Barcelona.’ The new Barcelona projections are based on the latest SPECcpu2006 benchmarks and show that AMD expects to have up to a 50 percent advantage in floating point performance and 20 percent in integer performance over the competition’s highest-performing quad-core processor at the same frequency.

As performance-per-watt also continues to be a critical issue for IT decision-makers in addition to raw performance, AMD recently launched the AMD Platform Power Calculator. By leveraging this tool, customers can compare estimated power consumption of servers based on AMD Opteron processors that span all thermal envelopes, 68, 95 and 120 watt, and similar servers based on dual-core processors from the competition.

Source: AMD

Akita Elpida Memory Develops Thinnest MCP With 20 Stacked Dies

Akita Elpida Memory announced the development of a 1.4-mm thick Multi Chip Package with 20 stacked dies, making it the world's thinnest.

Its operations beginning in October of last year, Akita Elpida is a new company established in July, 2006 by Elpida Memory, with a business scope focusing on semiconductor back-end processes. Akita Elpida is currently applying its high-level technical strengths and manufacturing know-how it has developed as a member of the Hitachi group, as it currently focuses on developing and manufacturing cutting-edge, highly value-added packages known as MCPs and Package-on-Packages (PoPs), centering on products with 2 or 3 stacked dies.

Akita Elpida's technical skills which lead to the development of the world's thinnest package are introduced in the following process sequence:

  1. Grinding technology to achieve 30 µm thick chips
  2. Handling technology for 30 µm thick wafers
  3. Technology for picking up and die-attaching 30 µm thick chips
  4. 40 µm low loop wire bonding technology
  5. Overhang wire bonding technology
  6. Technology for injecting resin into narrow gap

Akita Elpida, plans from now on to put this package technology to work to establish high-yield and low-cost manufacturing technology for multi-chip stacked packages such as existing 5- and 7-die multi-chip stacked packages.

Source: Elpida Memory

Samsung Develops New Stacking Process For DRAM

Samsung Electronics announced that it has developed the first all-DRAM stacked memory package using ‘through silicon via’ (TSV) technology, which should soon result in memory packages that are faster, smaller and consume less power.

The new wafer-level-processed stacked package (WSP) consists of four 512-megabit DDR2 DRAM chips that offer a combined 2 gigabits of high density memory. Using the TSV-processed 2Gb DRAMs, Samsung can create a 4 GB DIMM based on advanced WSP technology for the first time. Samsung’s proprietary WSP technology not only reduces the overall package size, but also permits the chips to operate faster and use less power.

In today’s MCPs, memory chips are connected by wire bonding, requiring vertical spacing between dies that is tens of microns deep. That wire bonding process also requires horizontal spacing on the package board hundreds of microns wide for the die-connecting wires. By contrast, Samsung’s WSP technology forms laser-cut micron-sized holes that penetrate the silicon vertically to connect the memory circuits directly with a copper (Cu) filling, eliminating the need for gaps of extra space and wires protruding beyond the sides of the dies. These advantages permit Samsung’s WSP to offer a significantly smaller footprint and thinner package.

Inside the new WSP, the TSV is housed within an aluminum pad to escape the performance-slow-down effect caused by the redistribution layer. Due to the complexity of DRAM stacking, this represented a much more difficult engineering feat than that accomplished with the first WSP, announced last year involving NAND flash dies.

There has been considerable concern that MCPs with high-speed memory chips with speed of 1.6Gb/ps next generation DRAM, would suffer from performance limitations when connected using current technologies. Samsung’s WSP technology resolves these concerns.

In addition, as the back side of the wafer is ground away to make a thinner stack of multiple dies, the wafer has had a tendency to curve, creating physical distortion in the die. To overcome this additional critical concern in designing low-profile, high-density MCPs containing DRAM circuitry, Samsung’s proprietary wafer-thinning technology, announced last year, has been applied to improve the thin-die-cutting process.

Advanced package solutions are increasingly important requirements for enabling high-speed, high-density memory solutions. Samsung’s new stacked package design supports the rapid industry demand for high density, high performance semiconductor solutions that will support next-generation computing systems in 2010 and beyond.

Source: Samsung Electronics

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