An Intel Core i5-14600K processor has been benchmarked roughly a month before its expected rollout at retail—previous leaks have this particular model placed as the most wallet friendly offering within a range of 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPUs. A total of six SKUs, with K and KF variants, are anticipated to launch on October 17. An official unveiling of new processor product lineups is scheduled for tomorrow at Team Blue's Innovation event. China's ECSM has managed to acquire an engineering sample (ES) of the aforementioned i5-14600K model, and put it through the proverbial ringer in Cinebench R23, Cinebench 2024, and CPU-Z. The brief report did not disclose any details regarding exact testbench conditions, so some of the results could be less than reliable/accurate.

ECSM's screenshot from CPU-Z re-confirms the Core i5-14600K's already leaked specs—six high-performance Raptor Cove cores running at a 3.50 GHz base clock, going up to 5.30 GHz (a 200 MHz gain over its predecessor: Core i5-13600K). Eight efficiency-oriented Gracemont cores running up to 4.0 GHz—100 MHz more than on the predecessor. The Core i5-14600K and i5-13600K share the same designations of 24 MB L3 cache and 125 W PBP—the leaked engineering sample was shown to have a core voltage of 1.2 V. The previous gen CPU operates on 1.14 V. ECSM noted that CPU package power consumption reached 160 W, and: "currently, the burn-in voltage is still quite out of control, especially for the two 8P models, both of which are at 1.4 V+. However, there is still a lot of room for manual voltage reduction."

ASRock Rack, the leading innovative server company, today announced its latest server motherboard lineup now supports the AMD EPYC 8004 Series processors which extend the 4th Gen EPYC Family into new markets.

The AMD EPYC 8004 Series processors bring the benefits of the "Zen 4c" processor core to markets that seek strong performance but also have significant requirements for efficient, dense form factors, limited available power, and quieter operations. "AMD EPYC 8004 Processors are purpose-built to deliver strong performance and energy efficiency in an optimized, single-socket package," said Lynn Comp, corporate vice president, Server Product and Technology Marketing, AMD. "The combination of impressive performance and streamlined platform componentry of the EPYC 8004 Series CPUs means system builders can offer their customers cost-efficient business-relevant configurations."

TYAN, an industry-leading server platform design manufacturer and a subsidiary of MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation, today announced availability of new single-socket server platforms supporting AMD EPYC 8004 Series processors. These platforms are purpose built for cloud services and intelligent edge deployments while offering lower operating costs and delivering impressive energy efficiency.

"The AMD EPYC 8004 Series CPUs deliver a great combination of impressive performance and streamlined platform componentry which enables us to develop business-relevant server configurations for our customers," said Eric Kuo, Vice President of the Server Infrastructure Business Unit at MiTAC Computing Technology. "TYAN's innovative server platform, fueled by EPYC 8004 Series CPUs, empowers us to provide our customers with cost-effective solutions while also expanding into new markets."

AMD today rolled out the new compacted Socket SP6 server platform designed for smaller servers locally deployed at the edge by organizations. With CPU core-counts of up to 64-core/128-thread, these processors are based on the "Zen 4c" microarchitecture, which comes with identical IPC and ISA to "Zen 4," but with smaller L3 cache available per core. The EPYC 8004 series targets traditional data-centers located on-site for organizations. Even if the heavy-lifting of the IT for them is performed by remote data-centers or cloud providers, organizations still need smaller edge server deployments. The EPYC 8004 series caters to a different kind of servers than the ones the lower core-count models of EPYC 9004 "Genoa" do.

With the EPYC 8004 series, AMD is debuting a new smaller CPU socket called SP6. The socket measures 58.5 mm x 75.4 mm, compared to the 76.0 mm x 80.0 mm of Socket SP5 powering EPYC 9004 "Genoa" and EPYC 97x4 "Bergamo." Socket SP5 is an LGA with a pin count of 4,844, compared to SP5, which is LGA-6096. The first line of processors for this socket, the EPYC 8004 series, are codenamed "Siena." These are very much part of the 4th Gen EPYC series, a lineage it shares with "Genoa" for data-center servers, "Genoa-X" for compute servers, and "Bergamo" for high-density cloud.

Intel Innovation 2023 - September 13, 2023 - MiTAC Computing Technology, a professional IT solution provider and a subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings Corporation, will showcase its DSG (Datacenter Solutions Group) product lineup powered by 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors for enterprise, cloud and AI workloads at Intel Innovation 2023, booth #H216 in the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, USA, from September 19-20.

"MiTAC has seamlessly and successfully managed the Intel DSG business since July. The datacenter solution product lineup enhances MiTAC's product portfolio and service offerings. Our customers can now enjoy a comprehensive one-stop service, ranging from motherboards and barebones servers to Intel Data Center blocks and complete rack integration for their datacenter infrastructure needs," said Eric Kuo, Vice President of the Server Infrastructure Business Unit at MiTAC Computing Technology.

Apple today announced iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, featuring an industry-first color-infused back glass with a stunning, textured matte finish, and a new contoured edge on the aluminium enclosure. Both models feature the Dynamic Island, and an advanced camera system designed to help users take fantastic photos of everyday moments in their lives. A powerful 48MP Main camera enables super-high-resolution photos and a new 2x Telephoto option to give users a total of three optical zoom levels—like having a third camera. The iPhone 15 lineup also introduces the next generation of portraits, making it easier to capture portraits with great detail and low-light performance. Building on Apple's innovative satellite infrastructure, Roadside Assistance via satellite can connect users to AAA if they have car trouble while off the grid. With A16 Bionic for powerful, proven performance; a USB‑C connector; Precision Finding for Find My friends; and industry-leading durability features, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent a huge leap forward.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in five stunning new colors: pink, yellow, green, blue, and black. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 15, with availability beginning Friday, September 22.

Apple today debuted iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, designed with aerospace-grade titanium that's strong yet lightweight to deliver Apple's lightest Pro models ever. The new design also features contoured edges and a customizable Action button, allowing users to personalize their iPhone experience. Powerful camera upgrades enable the equivalent of seven pro lenses with incredible image quality, including a more advanced 48MP Main camera system that now supports the new super-high-resolution 24MP default, the next generation of portraits with Focus and Depth Control, improvements to Night mode and Smart HDR, and an all-new 5x Telephoto camera exclusively on iPhone 15 Pro Max. A17 Pro unlocks next-level gaming experiences and pro performance. The new USB‑C connector is supercharged with USB 3 speeds—up to 20x faster than USB 2—and together with new video formats, enables powerful pro workflows that were not possible before. And with the addition of Roadside Assistance via satellite, the iPhone 15 Pro lineup builds on Apple's innovative satellite infrastructure to connect users to help if they have car trouble while off the grid.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available in four stunning new finishes, including black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and natural titanium. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 15, with availability beginning Friday, September 22.

In a recent interaction with the community on Chinese social platforms, Tony Yu, better known as Uncle Tony and serving as the General Manager of ASUS China, shed light on several questions concerning ASUS's products. One question that captured attention was about the ROG Z790 APEX motherboard, a premium offering from ASUS designed explicitly for overclocking. Tony clarified that the motherboard is currently out of production as ASUS gears up to unveil an updated version. This move is in line with industry trends, with rivals like Gigabyte and MSI also refreshing their respective Z790 lineups. The updated motherboards from ASUS are expected to align with Intel's next-generation Core series known as Raptor Lake Refresh, featuring incremental improvements such as WiFi-7 standard integration, new color options, enhanced power delivery mechanisms, and advancements in memory overclocking capabilities.

Launched initially in November of the previous year with a price tag of $699, the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX motherboard stood out for its superior features aimed at overclocking enthusiasts. These include 24 power supply modules, dual 8Pin power connectors, AI-driven overclocking technology, and support for DDR5 memory with speeds exceeding 8000 MT/s. It also offers a plethora of connectivity options, like five M.2 interfaces, a 2.5G network card, WiFi 6E, and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, along with 60 W QC 4+ fast charging. This motherboard gained popularity in December when it was used to set a world record CPU frequency of 9008.82 MHz using an Intel i9-13900K processor. Looking forward, the next generation of Intel Core processors could enable even higher overclocking frequencies. Apart from this, Tony tantalizingly hinted that ASUS is experimenting with innovative design changes, such as introducing connectors on the reverse side of motherboards, although this feature may not debut in the APEX series.

MSI, the leading brand of gaming products, is launching the MAG Codex 6 with the cutting-edge 13th-Gen Intel processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics card. Dedicated to being gamers' ultimate companion, the MAG Codex 6 13th seamlessly blends performance and functionality. Its sleek and robust design, inspired by modern aesthetics, exudes a captivating look without compromising on appearance.

The MAG Codex 6 13th is powered by the Intel Core i7 processor, delivering a remarkable performance boost compared to its predecessor. Paired with the RTX 40 Series, featuring the latest Fourth-Gen Tensor Cores, Third-Gen RT Cores, and New Streaming Multiprocessors, game frame rates have seen significant enhancements. Moreover, gamers have the option to select from various graphics card choices, including the RTX 4070, or opt for the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB variant, catering to those seeking greater VRAM capacity. In addition, the MAG Codex 6 13th is equipped with cutting-edge transmission specifications, such as DDR5 memory and M.2 PCI-e SSD slots, ensuring the highest level of performance for avid gamers.

TECNO, a global innovative technology brand once again participated in the Berlin International Consumer Electronics Show (IFA), showcasing its innovative prowess from September 1st to 5th, 2023, TECNO unveiled two "world-first" concept devices: the Water-Cooling MEGA MINI Gaming PC and the Phantom Ultimate rollable smartphone.

Throughout the exhibition, TECNO's exhibition design under the theme "Dazzling Youth" stood out, showcasing the brand attitude of "passion, innovation, and modernity" through a comprehensive and stylish visual dialogue with consumers. TECNO's presence was marked by exciting product launches, TECNO highlight products' presentations, and immersive experiences that left a mark on the world of technology. With a focus on addressing evolving consumer needs and trends, TECNO's participation at IFA Berlin 2023 underscored the company's dedication to elevating the smart ecosystem mobile tech landscape.

Six Intel 14th Gen Core Raptor Lake-S Refresh SKUs were prematurely listed by an e-tailer late last month, with the already leaked Core i9-14900K CPU model popping up again (a week later) via CPU-Z and Geekbench tests. This higher end K and KF product lineup is expected to launch at some point next month—according to the rumor mill. Team Blue could be preparing cheaper non-K models for an unveiling at CES 2024, but a leaker has decided to spoil the fun way in advance. YuuKi_AnS uploaded an allegedly extremely comprehensive list of 14th Gen SKUs, complete with full specifications to their X/Twitter handle. This grants an early glimpse of lowly Intel 300 and 300T models—both featuring a 2P+0E core configuration—these appear to be modern successors to (now retired) Pentium Gold and Celeron branded budget-friendly processor families.

It should be noted that the leaked slide (dated September 5) states that everything sitting within the table is a qualification sample (QS), therefore these chips are subject to change due to their pre-production nature. Parts of the table look a bit iffy—support for DDR5 memory varies across the range, while EEC memory support is also very inconsistent. Intel seems to be sticking with the usual set of three different die designs for desktop Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs—Tom's Hardware points out that: "the B0 die (8P-16E) powers SKUs from the Core i5-14600 and up, while the C0 (8P+8E) die targets models from Core i5-14400 to Core i5-14500T. On the contrary, the H0 (6P+0E) die, which is the lowest of the trio, will be inside the Intel 300 to Core i3-14100T chips."

During a recent demonstration, Intel showcased its cutting-edge packaging technologies, EMIB (embedded multi-die interconnect bridge) and Foveros, unveiling the highly-anticipated Meteor Lake processor with integrated LPDDR5X memory. This move appears to align with Apple's successful integration of LPDDR memory into its M1 and M2 chip packages. At the heart of Intel's presentation was the quad-tile Meteor Lake CPU, leveraging Foveros packaging for its chiplets and boasting 16 GB of Samsung's LPDDR5X-7500 memory. Although the specific CPU configuration remains undisclosed, the 16 GB of integrated memory delivers a remarkable peak bandwidth of 120 GB/s, outperforming traditional memory subsystems using DDR5-5200 or LPDDR5-6400.

Nevertheless, this approach comes with trade-offs, such as the potential for system-wide failure if a memory chip malfunctions, limited upgradeability in soldered-down configurations, and the need for more advanced cooling solutions to manage CPU and memory heat. While Apple pioneered on-package LPDDR memory integration in client CPUs, Intel has a history of using package-on-package DRAM with its Atom-branded CPUs for tablets and ultrathin laptops. While this approach simplifies manufacturing, enabling slimmer notebook designs, it curtails configuration flexibility. We are yet to see if big laptop makers such as Dell, HP, and Asus, take on this design in the coming months.

MIPS, a leading developer of high- performance RISC-V compute IP, has announced embedded systems industry veteran Sameer Wasson as the company's new CEO. Before joining MIPS, Wasson spent 18 years at Texas Instruments (TI), most recently as Vice President, Business Unit (BU) Manager, Processors, where he was responsible for the company's Processor businesses. In that role, Wasson re-established TI as a mainstream microprocessor (MPU) and microcontroller (MCU) supplier for high growth automotive and industrial markets, and established the company's footprint in embedded AI, software defined vehicles, and electrification.

As the new CEO of MIPS, Wasson will further accelerate the company's leadership in the High-Performance RISC-V market as it continues to expand its footprint in Automotive and Enterprise markets.

Maxon, developers of professional software solutions for editors, filmmakers, motion designers, visual effects artists and creators of all types, is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of Cinebench 2024. This latest iteration of the industry-standard benchmarking software, which has been a cornerstone in computer performance evaluation for two decades, sets a new standard for performance evaluation, embracing cutting-edge technology to provide artists, designers, and creators with a more accurate and relevant representation of their hardware capabilities.

Redshift Rendering Engine Integration
Cinebench 2024 ushers in a new era by embracing the power of Redshift, Cinema 4D's default rendering engine. Unlike its predecessors, which utilized Cinema 4D's standard renderer, Cinebench 2024 utilizes the same render algorithms across both CPU and GPU implementations. This leap to the Redshift engine ensures that performance testing aligns seamlessly with the demands of modern creative workflows, delivering accurate and consistent results.

Lanner Electronics, a leading provider of advanced network appliances and edge AI computing platforms, is excited to introduce the new PCIe AI Acceleration Card, Falcon Lite, powered by Hailo-8 AI processors. The Falcon Lite's modular PCIe form factor provides a flexible solution for solution providers looking to accelerate edge AI workloads with deployment flexibility and power efficiency.

The Lanner Falcon Lite PCIe AI Acceleration Card is designed to meet the soaring demand for scalable intelligent video analytics applications in smart retail, Industry 4.0, and intelligent transportation. With high-density AI processors, the Falcon Lite can accommodate 2, 3, and 4 Hailo-8 AI processors, offering up to 104 tera operations per second (TOPS) of AI performance to offload the CPU for low-latency deep learning inference.

PerformanceDatabases has uncovered details relating to an alleged engineering sample of AMD's Ryzen 8000 "Strix Point" APU—likely insider sourced CPU-Z screengrabs from early last month revealed that the upcoming Zen 5-based laptop chip (in their words): "is built on a 4 nm Process and features the Big.Little CPU architecture with 4 Performance Cores and 8 Efficiency Cores. Both the P and E-Cores support hyper-threading. On the P-Core and E-Core, the L1 Data cache is 48 KB, while the L1 instruction cache is 32 KB. Each P Core boasts 1 MB of cache, and with E-Cores, it looks like there are 4 in a group, sharing 1 MB of L2 Cache. This setup is quite similar to Intel's design. Keep in mind, it's still in the engineering sample (ES) stage, so there's more to come. We'll keep you posted on any further updates!"

Another "AMD Strix - Internal GPU" example emerged late last week, this time in the form of a leaked HWInfo64 screen grab with some information completely covered up—the visible parts seems to point to this "Strix Point" APU featuring a core configuration as seen in the earlier leak, along with 1024 unified shaders. We can presume that the sampled Zen 5-based mobile APU possessing 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units (16 × 64 = 1024). Other details include a 45 W TDP rating, and the socket type being FP8 (as utilized by current Ryzen 7040U and 7040H(S) mobile SoCs). The 512 MB GDDR6 memory configuration is very likely an error—according to HWInfo64, the tested system was fitted with 32 GB of LPDDR5 memory. "Strix Point" looks to be the logical successor (in 2024) to AMD's current "Phoenix" lineup of mobile processors, as featured in gaming handhelds and laptops. PC hardware enthusiasts are expressing excitement about the upcoming APU series wielding impressive iGPU performance, with the potential to rival modern discrete mobile solutions.

Today Lenovo is announcing its top-of-the-line Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 8), the first 16-inch gaming laptop in Lenovo Legion's ecosystem—and in the world—with a self-contained liquid-cooling system, designed for gamers and creators with heavy graphic workflow requirements who need a full development studio in their bag. The Lenovo Legion 9i caps out the Lenovo Legion lineup that also includes the Lenovo Legion Pro series for competitive gamers and the Lenovo Legion Slim series for gamers who value agility, as well as Lenovo Legion displays and peripherals. Also announced today are the Lenovo Legion 16" Gaming Backpack GB700 and GB400, two backpack options that give gamers a choice between slim and lightweight agility or extra storage without sacrificing protection for their Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 8) or any other laptops and accessories.

"The introduction of the Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 8) marks the latest pinnacle of Lenovo Legion's gaming laptop innovation. The Lenovo Legion 9i is first laptop in the Lenovo Legion ecosystem with an integrated liquid-cooling system and hardware AI chip tuning. The forged carbon A-cover, which in addition to its 'unique-to-each-laptop aesthetics' means a lighter laptop for gamers and creators who demand nothing but the best." said Jun Ouyang, Lenovo's vice president and general manager of the Consumer Business Segment, Intelligent Devices Group. "We are constantly challenging ourselves to push the limits when designing gaming solutions. The Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 8) has set a new benchmark for us that we are excited to meet—and exceed—in the future."

Jon Peddie Research reports the growth of the global PC-based graphics processor unit (GPU) market reached 61.6 million units in Q2'23 and PC CPU shipments decreased by -23% year over year. Overall, GPUs will have a compound annual growth rate of 3.70% during 2022-2026 and reach an installed base of 2,998 million units at the end of the forecast period. Over the next five years, the penetration of discrete GPUs (dGPUs) in the PC will grow to reach a level of 32%.

Year to year, total GPU shipments, which include all platforms and all types of GPUs, decreased by -27%, desktop graphics decreased by -36%, and notebooks decreased by -23%.

Ampere Computing, known for its Altra (Max) and upcoming AmpereOne families of AArch64 server processors tailored for data centers, has released a guide for enthusiasts on running Steam for Linux on these ARM64 processors. This includes using Steam Play (Proton) to play Windows games on these Linux-powered servers. Over the summer, Ampere Computing introduced a GitHub repository detailing the process of running Steam for Linux on their AArch64 platforms, including Steam Play/Proton. While the guide is primarily designed for Ampere Altra/Altra Max and AmpereOne hardware, it can be adapted for other 64-bit Arm platforms. However, a powerful processor is essential to appreciate the gaming experience truly. Additionally, for the 3D OpenGL/Vulkan graphics to function optimally, an Ampere workstation system is more suitable than a headless server.

The guide recommends the Ampere Altra Developer platform paired with an NVIDIA RTX A6000 series graphics card, which supports AArch64 proprietary drivers. The guide uses Box86 and Box64 to run Steam x86 binaries and other x86/x86-64 games for emulation. While there are other options like FEX-Emu and Hangover to enhance the Linux binary experience on AArch64, Box86/Box64 is the preferred choice for gaming on Ampere workstations, as indicated by its mention in Ampere Computing's Once the AArch64 Linux graphics drivers are accelerated and Box86/Box64 emulation is set up, users can install Steam for Linux. By activating Proton within Steam, it becomes feasible to play Windows-exclusive x86/x86-64 games on Ampere AArch64 workstations or server processors. However, the guide doesn't provide insights into the performance of such a configuration.

AMD is aiming to launch its Ryzen 8000 desktop CPUs, codenamed "Granite Ridge," at some point next year. The next generation Zen 5 core microarchitecture is expected to arrive alongside (Navi) RDNA 3.5 iGPU cores according to the last batch of Team Red product roadmaps. Today, hardware tipsters Olrak29_ and Kepler_L2 have made claims on social media that part of the Ryzen 7000 CPU legacy will continue with the succeeding desktop processor lineup—we already know that Granite Ridge will exist as a Socket AM5 package, but today's leak proposes that these next-gen chips are lined up to utilize the same IO die as sported by AMD's current Zen 4 desktop family.

These new rumors suggest that the "reused" Ryzen 7000 IOD (I/O Die) chiplet will grant the familiar allocation of 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, memory controllers, USB functions, plus RDNA 2 iGPU cores. Wccftech points out that: "...interestingly, AMD lists the Ryzen 7000 "desktop" CPUs with Navi 3.0 support whereas the Radeon 710M iGPU in fact is based on the RDNA 2 graphics core. The next-gen lineup was mentioned to support the newest RDNA 3.5 GPU core which will be coming to the Strix APU family next year but that isn't the case either." The article proposes that "RDNA 3.5 GPU cores on the AM5 platform" could arrive with the advent of upcoming Ryzen APUs—namely 6 nm Rembrandt (6000G) and 4 nm Phoenix (7000G) desktop solutions.

Intel 14th Gen Core CPU series leaks continue to emerge this week—MSI let slip an NDA slide during a livestream a few days ago, and now a retail outlet in the Ukraine has listed six Raptor Lake-S Refresh SKUs on its online store, as spotted by the ever watchful momomo_us. The placeholder product pages that have popped up on Telemart seemingly provide us with yet another look at SKU names, basic specifications, cache sizes, as well as maximum clock speeds. These appear to reaffirm information gleaned from previous leaks regarding 14th generation K and KF models.

Intel's Innovation 2023 event is set to take place on September 19 to 20—where Team Blue is expected to make a big presentation on Raptor Lake Refresh processor ranges (as well as Meteor Lake), so it is somewhat surprising to see retail listings appear well in advance of next month's official announcements, and the anticipated 14th Gen Core K-series product launch in October.

NVIDIA's latest financial report for FY2Q24 reveals that its data center business reached US$10.32 billion—a QoQ growth of 141% and YoY increase of 171%. The company remains optimistic about its future growth. TrendForce believes that the primary driver behind NVIDIA's robust revenue growth stems from its data center's AI server-related solutions. Key products include AI-accelerated GPUs and AI server HGX reference architecture, which serve as the foundational AI infrastructure for large data centers.

TrendForce further anticipates that NVIDIA will integrate its software and hardware resources. Utilizing a refined approach, NVIDIA will align its high-end, mid-tier, and entry-level GPU AI accelerator chips with various ODMs and OEMs, establishing a collaborative system certification model. Beyond accelerating the deployment of CSP cloud AI server infrastructures, NVIDIA is also partnering with entities like VMware on solutions including the Private AI Foundation. This strategy extends NVIDIA's reach into the edge enterprise AI server market, underpinning steady growth in its data center business for the next two years.

The Exascale supercomputer arms race is making everyone invest their resources into trying to achieve the number one spot. Some countries, like China, actively participate in the race with little proof of their work, leaving the high-performance computing (HPC) community wondering about Chinese efforts on exascale systems. Today, we have some information regarding the next-generation Sunway system, which is supposed to be China's first exascale supercomputer. Replacing the Sunway TaihuLight, the next-generation Sunway will reportedly boast over 40 million cores in its system. The information comes from an upcoming presentation for Supercomputing 2023 show in Denver, happening from November 12 to November 17.

The presentation talks about 5 ExaFLOPS in the HPL-MxP benchmark with linear scalability on the 40-million-core Sunway supercomputer. The HPL-MxP benchmark is a mixed precision HPC benchmark made to test the system's capability in regular HPC workloads that require 64-bit precision and AI workloads that require 32-bit precision. Supposedly, the next-generation Sunway system can output 5 ExaFLOPS with linear scaling on its 40-million-core system. What are those cores? We are not sure. The last-generation Sunway TaihuLight used SW26010 manycore 64-bit RISC processors based on the Sunway architecture, each with 260 cores. There were 40,960 SW26010 CPUs in the system for a total of 10,649,600 cores, which means that the next-generation Sunway system is more than four times more powerful from a core-count perspective. We expect some uArch and semiconductor node improvements as well.

Today, at VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas, AMD continued to showcase its proven performance and growing adoption of AMD EPYC CPUs, AMD Pensando data processing units (DPUs) and adaptive computing products as ideal solutions for the most efficient and innovative virtualized environments. For instance, a system powered by a 4th Gen AMD EPYC 9654 CPUs and a Pensando DPU, delivers approximately 3.3x the Redis application performance and 1.75x the aggregate network throughput when compared to a 4th Gen EPYC system with standard NICs. Additionally, servers with 2P 4th Gen EPYC 9654 CPUs alone can enable using up to 35% fewer servers in an environment running 2000 virtual machines (VMs) compared to 2P Intel Xeon 8490H based servers.

"AMD is helping enterprise customers fully realize the benefits of their virtualized data centers with the latest generation EPYC CPUs and Pensando DPUs," said Forrest Norrod, executive vice president and general manager, Data Center Solutions Business Group, AMD. "Consolidation and modernization enable businesses to increase server utilization and efficiency while delivering impressive performance for critical enterprise workloads. Our ongoing collaboration with VMware enables customers to get more efficient and agile to reach their digital transformation goals."

Recently, Chinese customs at Gongbei Port, which connects Macau and Zhuhai, made a significant interception: 780 Intel processors that smugglers were attempting to sneak in. Smugglers in China are known for their innovative tactics to bypass customs. There are many ways that these smugglers try to avoid paying customs, and that is strapping these goods on themselves. In this latest incident, the smugglers chose a seemingly clever approach by stashing the processors within a cross-border bus's engine. But passing through metal detectors with such a hefty amount of metal is risky, and even creative disguises can't shield processors from keen-eyed detectors.

After examining its digital imagery, the Gongbei Port customs officials grew suspicious of the bus. A detailed engine inspection unveiled the smuggled goods: 780 Intel processors, cleverly hidden. The estimated value of the seized items is over one million yuan, approximately $137,341. Although the exact models of the confiscated chips are not entirely clear, they appear to be from the 12th Generation Alder Lake or 13th Generation Raptor Lake series. China's vast grey market for computer components is both a boon and a bane. While CPUs, GPUs, and SSDs are available at tempting prices, these deals often lack the manufacturer's warranty. So, while the initial savings might seem appealing, the absence of warranty poses risks that could offset those initial benefits in the long run.