Items tagged with OEM
NVIDIA partners have started to make GeForce RTX 3050 graphics cards with trimmed down specs available in pre-built PCs. This OEM variant has both fewer CUDA cores, as well as slightly scaled back GPU base/boost clocks. Otherwise, the OEM RTX 3050 is the same as the PC DIY discrete graphics card you can buy at most...
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The Right to repair movement is a hot topic as manufacturers of various products ranging from mobile devices to tractors have stood in the way of third-party repairs, which tend to be cheaper than the OEM repair method. Even the Federal Trade Commission has intervened over companies blocking right to repair with a...
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When Microsoft developed Windows 8's controversial UI and new Start Screen, the major impetus driving the design was the need to support touchscreen devices. Microsoft hammered this home at every opportunity, describing the new Metro design as a "touch first" experience. Then Windows 8 shipped, and precious few laptops had touchscreen support....
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As ultraportable devices of various stripes proliferate, there's a corresponding need for extra-slim storage drives that still deliver in terms of performance and storage capacity. Western Digital has a pair of new products to address those needs with the WD Blue HDD and WD Black SSHD drives. Both of the 2.5-inch...
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Intel’s Paul Otellini is on his way out as CEO, but before he steps down a month from now, he dropped some news about what Intel is planning to roll out in the near future during an earnings call with investors. Specifically, he said that soon, consumers might be seeing touch-enabled Intel-based notebooks...
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If you've paid any attention to the PC industry in the past few years, you're aware that things aren't as rosy as they used to be. After decades of annual growth, major manufacturers like HP and Dell have both either floated the idea of exiting the consumer space (HP) or gone private (Dell). Contrast that with steady...
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Intel's four beat, three second jingle has become synonymous with the company's brand, despite the fact that it contains no spoken words or associated text. To date, Santa Clara has reserved the sequence for its desktop, laptop, and server products, but it's planning a major smartphone marketing campaign as well...
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Well, at least the collective tech press isn't completely nuts. As soon as Microsoft used a hush-hush event to reveal the Surface tablet (both of them, actually), the first thought wasn't about Microsoft following Apple, or even Windows 8 on a tablet. It was: "What will Microsoft's OEM partners think?" Indeed...
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Microsoft's Surface isn't just an attempt to take on the iPad or an articulation of MS's independent design philosophy -- it's a fundamental threat against the OEMs who've spent decades as Microsoft's partners and collectively destroyed the industry's perception of the PC as a high-value product. The adversarial roots run deep. Microsoft didn't...
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It's been a few years since Microsoft really shot itself in the foot by making itself look really unfriendly, and someone at the company must've been missing the pain. A careful read of the company's "Windows 8 Hardware Certification Requirements" document has revealed draconian policies that require vendors to block the installation of other...
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Microsoft is planning to take action against a UK corporation it claims sold some 94,000 pirated copies of Windows, but the company, British retailer Comet, isn't going down without a fight. Earlier today, Redmond released a statement alleging widespread fraud: "As detailed in the complaint filed today, Comet produced...
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The AIO PC form factor isn't new by any means, but it's only recently begun to make a broad market appearance across a number of manufacturers beyond Apple or HP, who were among the first to pioneer the form factor. Better touchscreen technology, combined with lower prices, has made AIO PCs both practical and affordable. The ET2410 from Asus...
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Don't let the doomsayers sell you on the idea that the desktop PC is dead. Far from it, desktops are just now entering their heyday with blazing fast multi-core processors, gobs of RAM, high definition output, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, HDMI connectivity, wireless input devices, and everything else you might find on a modern day system. No, desktops...
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Earlier this year, Intel unveiled its plan to redefine the concept of a PC around an ultra thin-and-light chassis reminiscent of the Macbook Air and with a standard CPU TDP of just 15W. OEM reactions to the CPU giant's attempt to reinvent the personal computer have been mixed. For all the platform's theoretical...
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Analyst firm IHS reports that chip supplier inventories have risen for the seven consecutive month. The continued rise in inventories reflects a general belief that consumer demand for electronic products will soon increase, though economic indicators are somewhat sketchy on this point. "Increases in stockpiles during the first quarter reflect...
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It didn't take long for the system builders over at CyberPower PC to pounce on Nvidia's brand new dual-GPU GeForce GTX 590. This is the card gaming enthusiasts have been waiting for, the one Nvidia touts as the "fastest graphics card on the planet" (be sure to read our in-depth review of the GTX 590, in which we put...
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At the time of this writing, the FTC's investigation into Intel's alleged monopolistic abuses is on hold as the government attempts to negotiate a settlement with the CPU and chipset manufacturer. If these negotiations don't result in a deal by July 22, the case returns to court, with arguments currently scheduled to begin on September 15....
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PC gamers are a lucky bunch, particularly those who have only recently begun their journey into the awesome world of computers. Never before has this hobby been so affordable, and there was a time not that long ago when building a cheap gaming rig resulted in a second-rate gaming experience, one devoid of copious amounts of eye candy and buttery...
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The business analysis firm IDC has released data on the shape of the PC industry through the fourth quarter of 2009 and the results point towards a general recovery in all segments. Sales rose moderately in Q4 as compared to Q3, partly thanks to seasonal trends, but were up a full 31.3 percent over Q4 2009. The first half of 2009 was a downright...
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Microsoft Works, which is frequently offered as part of new PCs, is about to meet its end. Instead, in an interesting move, Microsoft announced it will allow OEMs to install the entire Office 2010 Suite on new PCs in a free, ad-supported form, but with much functionality disabled unless an activation key is...
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For HTPC owners, most thought this day would never come. It's a liberation celebration, and frankly, it's coming way too late. Still, we'll take late over never almost all of the time, so we can't help but thank those involved for finally freeing CableCARDs of the OEM chains. This past week at CEDIA, Microsoft announced that anyone could now...
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A few days ago, we launched a new featured section here at HotHardware, dubbed OEM Access. As its name suggests, we're looking to enable direct conversations with Original Equipment Manufacturers, offering our readers the ability to better connect with them to ask questions, voice concerns, or to just comment on a particular product or technology.To...
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