It's official: Acer is the latest company to have a green thumb. Today it announced its plans to unveil notebook and ultrabook PCs sporting 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors, also known as "Ivy Bridge," over the coming weeks and months.
The Intel Core i7-3770k is the new flagship CPU of Intel's Ivy Bridge microprocessor line, announced Monday, and the first of several different iterations to come.
But speed demons aren't known for patience. Those who can't wait for the notebooks and ultrabooks will be relieved to hear that Acer has, in fact, already gone Ivy as of today, as it also announced that both Acer and Gateway-branded desktop PCs sporting Ivy Bridge processors will be available from retailers this week in several configurations ranging in price from $699.99 to $1,199.99.
Ivy Bridge represents the first implementation of Intel's 22nm manufacturing process, meaning that it performs as well as - if not better than - current "Sandy Bridge" processors, all while using less power and running at cooler temperatures. It's the latest example of Intel making PC processors that are both more capable and efficient, and you can expect to see more systems coming equipped with it over time.
Acer's first Ivy Bridge-equipped desktop is the Acer Predator AG3260-UR21P. Its new processor aims to deliver performance and graphical prowess to power-users who want an advanced PC for entertainment, gaming, and digital media. The Predator AG3260 will run at a sizzling 3.4GHz and boast an NVIDIA GT630 GPU, 16 GB of memory, and 2 TB storage. Its MSRP will be $1,199.99.
On the lower end of the price spectrum, at the Gateway DX3860-UR14P is the second desktop with an Ivy Bridge processor unveiled by Acer today and has an MSRP of $699.99. In addition to its terrific value, the DX3860 runs at 3.1GHz and comes equipped with 6GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1 TB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics.
There's been a lot of hype surrounding Ivy Bridge for some time now. The wait is finally over. Speed demons: start your engines.