Intel unveils six-core processor

Intel has unveiled Core i7-980X Extreme Edition, the chip maker's first six-core CPU for consumers, says eWeek.

Codenamed Gulftown, the Core i7-980X comes with six cores enabling 12 computing threads, and a larger L3 cache than the current i7-975.

The chip is built on the company's 32-nanometer manufacturing process, and brings with it such features as Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost. The i7-980X uses the same LGA-1366 socket as the i7-975, so users can switch out the old chip for the new one.

Dubai PC shipments across the Gulf countries increased around 7% last year, despite economic conditions, writes Zawya.

"2009 was better than we expected. From an overall perspective, desktops were in line with our forecast while notebooks grew beyond our expectations fuelled by strong demand for netbooks," says Omar Shihab, research manager of PCs and systems at IDC Middle East and Africa.

Total PC shipments last year were 4.42 billion units compared to 4.13 billion in 2008. Desktop shipments fell 21% to 784 987 units while notebook shipments grew 3.45% to three billion units and netbook shipments grew 146.26% to 566 794 units.

Western Digital (WD) has unveiled the SiliconEdge 2.5-inch SSD family, the company's first consumer-oriented solid state drive (SSD), states ChannelTimes.

The SSDs enable fast read / write speeds with high performance and plug-and-play compatibility. The storage device is available in capacities up to 256GB with a native SATA 3.0Gbps interface. It handles read speeds up to 250MBps and write rates up to 170MBps.

"The development of this SSD product family leverages the company's extensive experience in designing and manufacturing highly reliable storage products and the company's worldwide sales and distribution network to accelerate SSD technology adoption by OEMs, technology enthusiasts, gamers and road warriors," says Sushil Bandi, country manager at Western Digital.