Welcome to the 20th week of 2024 and this week kicks off with a huge AAA space saga that some of you have been eagerly waiting for. However, we have a second AAA title this week, which is a few years old Playstation game that, despite the title, doesn't have anything to do with ghosts. The rest of this week's releases involve aliens, rhythms, world wars and pirates.

Homeworld 3 / This week's first AAA title / Monday 13 May
Tactical, beautiful, and wholly unique, the GOTY-winning sci-fi RTS returns with Homeworld 3. Assume control and battle through fleet combat in dazzling, fully 3D space while the award-winning story unfolds on a galactic scale. Strategic freedom is yours. Hulking space derelicts called megaliths bring 3D terrain into the classic Homeworld battlespace. Use the crumbling remains of an ancient civilization to funnel foes into a brilliant ambush or hide your fleet from powerful enemies. Fortresses teem with menacing turrets and invite your strike craft into dangerous trench runs deep behind enemy lines. But not everything is in your control. Dangerous space phenomena like particle storms and asteroid fields will test even senior commanders. Steam Link

AMD has reached a significant milestone, capturing a record-high share of the X86 CPU market in the first quarter of 2024, according to the latest report from Mercury Research. This achievement marks a significant step forward for the chipmaker in its long battle against rival Intel's dominance in the crucial computer processor space. The surge was fueled by strong demand for AMD's Ryzen and EPYC processors across consumer and enterprise markets. The Ryzen lineup's compelling price-to-performance ratio has struck a chord with gamers, content creators, and businesses seeking cost-effective computing power without sacrificing capabilities. It secured AMD's 23.9% share, an increase from the previous Q4 of 2023, which has seen a 19.8% market share.

The company has also made major inroads on the data center front with its EPYC server CPUs. AMD's ability to supply capable yet affordable processors has enabled cloud providers and enterprises to scale operations on AMD's platform. Several leading tech giants have embraced EPYC, contributing to AMD's surging server market footprint. Now, it is at 23.6%, a significant increase over the past few years, whereas AMD was just above 10% four years ago in 2020. AMD lost some share to Intel on the mobile PC front due to the Meteor Lake ramp, but it managed to gain a small percentage of the market share of client PCs. As AMD rides the momentum into the second half of 2024, all eyes will be on whether the chipmaker can sustain this trajectory and potentially claim an even larger slice of the x86 CPU pie from Intel in the coming quarters.Below, you can see additional graphs of mobile PC and client PC market share.

Building on the foundation of its award-winning Super X-Fi Headphone Holography, Creative Technology will be unveiling the all-new Super X-Fi Gen 4 audio profile. This latest release boasts significant enhancements in dynamic range, clarity, and spatial awareness. The Super X-Fi Gen 4 isn't just raising the bar; it's redefining the standard for immersive audio experiences. With this latest update, users can enjoy an expanded dynamic range, delivering richer, more detailed audio reproduction. Coupled with improved clarity, users can indulge in crystal-clear sound that captures every subtle nuance, while the refined sense of space offers a more expansive and lifelike soundstage.

Super X-Fi technology elevates the audio experience for users by recreating the immersive soundstage of high-end surround speaker systems within headphones, further personalized by the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for a remarkably natural listening experience. Since its debut at CES 2019, users and critics have been impressed by the realism of personalized audio, which is tailored according to their anthropometric profiles. From immersing in the heart-pounding action of a blockbuster movie to feeling the raw energy of a live concert or delving into the captivating world of gaming, Super X-Fi can bring it all to life with breath-taking detail and precision.

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Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is proud to announce that the GR500 Racing Simulator Cockpit and the Triple Racing Monitor Stand are now ready for purchase. Moving beyond the conventional PC gaming setup, racing simulators redefine the gaming environment allowing you to feel like you are driving a racing car on a real racetrack in an indoor entertainment space easily. Create your simulators with the Thermaltake racing ecosystem, or take it one step further and match them with a VR headset like the Meta Quest 3, fully immersing the thrill of fast and furious racing!

GR500 Racing Simulator Cockpit
Thermaltake GR500 Racing Simulator Cockpit is designed for racing enthusiasts to experience authentic feel of racing. It comes with a racing-like bucket design and is made with a fiberglass seat, ensuring a premium seating experience. The adjustable seat allows you to glide forward & back, and recline, providing an ideal driving position for long gaming hours. The GR500 is crafted with a sturdy aluminium profile, steel structure, and anti-tip bracket, guaranteeing stability and safety. To make your racing simulator sleek, the base of the GR500 features RGB Lighting Strips including 20 lighting effects. If you switch to Rhythm Pickup mode, the lighting can even dynamically change with music. Additionally, Thermaltake GR500 has universal hardware compatibility that supports mainstream wheels, gear shifters, and pedals from Logitech, Fanatec, Thrustmaster, and more, allowing you to build an ideal racing simulator with high customization.

Gear up, Trailblazers - Honkai: Star Rail lands on GeForce NOW this week, along with an in-game reward for members to celebrate the title's launch in the cloud. Stream it today, along with five new games joining the GeForce NOW library of more than 1,900 titles this week.

Five Stars
Take a galactic journey in the cloud with Honkai: Star Rail, a new Cosmic Adventure Strategy role-playing game from HoYoverse, the company behind Genshin Impact. The title seamlessly blends intricate storytelling with immersive gameplay mechanics for an epic journey through the cosmos. Meet a cast of unique characters and explore diverse planets, each with its own mysteries to uncover. Assemble formidable teams, strategically deploying skills and resources to overcome mighty adversaries and unravel the mysteries of the Honkai phenomenon. Encounter new civilizations and face off against threats that endanger the Astral Express, overcome the struggles caused by Stellaron together, powerful artifacts that hold the keys to the universe's fate. Begin the trailblazing journey without needing to wait for downloads or game updates with GeForce NOW. Members who've opted into GeForce NOW's Rewards program will receive an email with a code for a Honkai: Star Rail starter kit, containing 30,000 credits, three Refined Aethers and three Traveler's Guides. All aboard the Astral Express for adventures and thrills!

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, has successively released its AI QuickSet software tool based on Microsoft Windows 10/11 and Canonical Ubuntu Linux platforms since the end of last year, which can help users quickly download, install and set up many artificial intelligence (AI) applications. It can also be accelerated by ASRock's custom AMD graphics cards, and has received widespread response from the market. Today ASRock continues its efforts and launch the AI QuickSet software tool that supports ASRock's custom Intel Arc A-Series graphics cards, including Intel Arc A770, A750, A580, A380, and A310 models, allowing users to enjoy the fun brought by generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications at their fingertips!

ASRock AI QuickSet software tool v1.0.3i supports Microsoft Windows 10/11 64-bit operating system, allowing users to easily install Stable Diffusion web UI OpenVINO without delving into complex configuration settings. This Stable Diffusion Web UI artificial intelligence (AI) image generation tool optimized through the Intel OpenVINO tool suite can be used with ASRock's own Intel Arc A series graphics cards (including Intel Arc A770, A750, A580, A380, A310 model)'s powerful computing capabilities provide excellent operational performance. This once again demonstrates ASRock's strong software and hardware R&D capabilities and its spirit of considering users. It also makes ASRock's AI QuickSet software tool once again a premium choice for consumers to quickly experience the fun of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications!

Sabrent introduced the Rocket 2242 M.2 Gen 4 NVMe SSD. The drive is built in the M.2-2242 form-factor (42 mm long), which should make it suitable for certain kinds of handheld game consoles, such as the Legion Go. The Rocket 2242 comes in just one capacity for now, 1 TB. The drive combines a Phison E27T series DRAMless controller with Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND flash, and takes advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface to offer sequential transfer speeds of up to 5000 MB/s. The company put out no other performance or endurance related specs. Sabrent is pricing the Rocket 2242 1 TB at USD $99.99, it is available now, and backed by a 5-year warranty.

Team Group Inc., the global leader in premium storage solutions, continues its commitment to providing consumers with cutting-edge storage solutions that meet today's technological trends. To support the growing demand for electric vehicles as an eco-friendly option, Team Group is proud to announce the launch of the Model T USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive. Specifically designed to support USB dashcams in electric vehicles, this compact USB drive exemplifies the company's innovative approach to addressing emerging lifestyle trends. The Model T USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive provides users with innovative functionality for a stress-free driving experience.

The Model T USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive is designed for storing driving footage in electric vehicles and is specifically compatible with the Tesla Model 3/Y/S/X. Featuring a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface, it boasts up to 512 GB of storage capacity. Engineered for Sentry Mode and dashcam footage storage, ensuring a stable performance that allows continuous recording even post-formatting. With ample storage, users can confidently activate Sentry Mode. Coupled with dashcam footage, the Model T USB 3.2 Gen 1 provides peace of mind by capturing and storing critical moments for up to 10 minutes. The Model T USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive features a sleek nickel-black finish, compact size, and ergonomic design that optimizes aesthetics and space utilization. With its Type-A connector, recording footage and storing multimedia files has never been easier. The stylish design of the zinc alloy body blends seamlessly with the sleek interior of electric vehicles, providing a durable and advanced storage solution.

ASRock today introduced the W790 WS R2.0 motherboard for workstations powered by 4th Gen Intel Xeon W-3400 and W-2400 series processors in the Socket LGA4677 package. Although its model name suggests that it is a revision of the W790 WS, the new W790 WS R2.0 appears to be a lite version of the original, which removes several I/O features. To begin with, the fancy I/O shroud makes way for bare connectors, where you can see several of the connectors stripped away. While the CPU VRM appears unchanged, the VRM heatsinks used on the R2.0 are of a simpler design. The design effort behind both these changes appears to be to make the board friendly to certain kinds of rackmount chassis.

Besides the design changes, the ASRock W790 WS R2.0 loses out on Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E, and only has a single 10 GbE interface instead of dual-10 GbE on the original W790 WS. These aside, the W790 WS R2.0 is still a very capable workstation motherboard for the platform it's based on. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and a 6-pin PCIe power; and uses a 22-phase CPU VRM. The board features four PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/x16/NC or x16/NC/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8), and one PCI-Express 4.0 x16 (electrical x4). The CPU socket is wired to eight memory slots, supporting quad-channel DDR5 memory, with support for DDR5 RDIMM-3DS, a total memory capacity of 2 TB, and a maximum overclocked memory speed of DDR5-6800.

Earlier this week, we got news of ASUS working on a design revision for its ROG Ally handheld game console to fix the positioning of its microSD card slot that was causing card and card-reader failures due to its location close to a thermal vent. It turns out that this revision is a whole different product, and ASUS is naming it the ROG Ally X. There's more to this console than simply a relocated microSD slot that won't fry your memory cards.

Apparently, ASUS has used the opportunity to give it a larger battery, and a larger M.2-2280 SSD bay, compared to the M.2-2242 slot on the original ROG Ally. This would open up end-users to the widest possible array of SSD choices. As a final bit of product differentiation, the ROG Ally X comes with a new black chassis trim. The larger battery makes the ROG Ally X heavier than the original. Besides these three hardware changes, the new ROG Ally X features the same kit as the original, and is hence expected to offer the same performance, albeit with improved battery life. ASUS is expected to formally launch the ROG Ally X on June 2, 2024.

According to Benchlife.info insiders, NVIDIA is supposedly in the phase of testing designs with various Total Graphics Power (TGP), running from 250 Watts to 600 Watts, for its upcoming GeForce RTX 50 series Blackwell graphics cards. The company is testing designs ranging from 250 W aimed at mainstream users and a more powerful 600 W configuration tailored for enthusiast-level performance. The 250 W cooling system is expected to prioritize compactness and power efficiency, making it an appealing choice for gamers seeking a balance between capability and energy conservation. This design could prove particularly attractive for those building small form-factor rigs or AIBs looking to offer smaller cooler sizes. On the other end of the spectrum, the 600 W cooling solution is the highest TGP of the stack, which is possibly only made for testing purposes. Other SKUs with different power configurations come in between.

We witnessed NVIDIA testing a 900-watt version of the Ada Lovelace AD102 GPU SKU, which never saw the light of day, so we should take this testing phase with a grain of salt. Often, the engineering silicon is the first batch made for the enablement of software and firmware, while the final silicon is much more efficient and more optimized to use less power and align with regular TGP structures. The current highest-end SKU, the GeForce RTX 4090, uses 450-watt TGP. So, take this phase with some reservations as we wait for more information to come out.

NVIDIA has just released its latest WHQL driver update labeled 552.44. In this driver update, the company is introducing a few additional game-ready titles, which are now supposed to run smoothly on the NVIDIA GeForce hardware. This includes the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut game, which is supposed to launch on May 16 next week. The act set in the 13th century will be accompanied by many technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS. NVIDIA Reflex and image quality-enhancing NVIDIA DLAA are also supported, which this driver update ensures. This driver also has an ironed-out bug of the resizable BAR profile in the Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut edition, providing a smooth experience on launch day. Another big release for next week is the Homeworld 3 strategy game, which NVIDIA also includes in this driver release. GeForce Experience (GFE) is also getting an update, which you can check out below in the complete list of updates and GFE-supported games.

Download GeForce Graphics 552.44 WHQL drivers here.

NVIDIA barely started shipping its "Blackwell" line of AI GPUs, and its next-generation architecture is already on the horizon. Codenamed "Rubin," after Vera Rubin, the new architecture will power NVIDIA's future AI GPUs with generational jumps in performance, but more importantly, a design focus on lowering the power draw. This will become especially important as NVIDIA's current architectures already approach the kilowatt range, and cannot scale boundlessly. TF International Securities analyst, Mich-Chi Kuo says that NVIDIA's first AI GPU based on "Rubin," the R100 (not to be confused with an ATI GPU from many moons ago); is expected to enter mass-production in Q4-2025, which means it could be unveiled and demonstrated sooner than that; and select customers could have access to the silicon sooner, for evaluations.

The R100, according to Mich-Chi Kuo, is expected to leverage TSMC's 3 nm EUV FinFET process, specifically the TSMC-N3 node. In comparison, the new "Blackwell" B100 uses the TSMC-N4P. This will be a chiplet GPU, and use a 4x reticle design compared to Blackwell's 3.3x reticle design, and use TSMC's CoWoS-L packaging, just like the B100. The silicon is expected to be among the first users of HBM4 stacked memory, and feature 8 stacks of a yet unknown stack height. The Grace Ruben GR200 CPU+GPU combo could feature a refreshed "Grace" CPU built on the 3 nm node, likely an optical shrink meant to reduce power. A Q4-2025 mass-production roadmap target would mean that customers will start receiving the chips by early 2026.

Corsair today announced the launch of the MP700 PRO SE PCIe 5.0 SSD, capable of achieving sequential read speeds of up to 14,000 MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 12,000 MB/sec. These impressive throughput figures are nearly twice as fast as what you'll see from the most capable PCIe 4.0 SSDs and up to 25 times faster than common SATA SSDs. The MP700 PRO SE is available in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities.

In addition to its phenomenal sequential read and write performance, the MP700 PRO SE takes advantage of the latest interface, controller, and NAND flash technologies to deliver outstanding random read and write performance - vital when it comes to transferring smaller files and serving as the primary OS drive. Experience faster load times for Windows, applications, and games, while transferring large files becomes a breeze. With native support for Microsoft DirectStorage, the MP700 PRO SE is ready to provide a gaming advantage not only in today's games but in tomorrow's too. The MP700 PRO SE performs at its best alongside the latest platforms such as Intel 14th Gen and AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs and PCIe 5.0 motherboards. However, it also maintains backwards compatibility with PCIe 4.0 motherboards, providing a clear upgrade path and ensuring the drive's longevity for years to come.

The MP700 PRO SE adheres to the industry standard M.2 2280 form factor, ensuring wide compatibility with a range of systems and platforms while maintaining ease of installation. Although the drive requires cooling to achieve optimal performance, the integrated M.2 cooling on most motherboards is more than capable. Additionally, the MP700 PRO SE is available with a stylish active cooler that keeps the drive running smoothly and minimizes throttling.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Corsair MP700 PRO SE 4 TB is now live]

Drop, a leading community-driven e-commerce brand, and audio pioneer Axel Grell have achieved a new pinnacle in stereo imaging and audio engineering with the Drop + Grell OAE1 Signature Headphones. Leveraging Grell's three decades of audio engineering and product development experience designing some of the industry's most iconic headphones, the driver-forward, open-around-ear OAE1 headphones lean into the structure of the human ear to achieve a more natural and realistic sound field much closer to a speaker listening experience.

The most notable aspect of the Drop + Grell OAE1s is the radical and acute placement of the drivers in front of and away from the ears, enabling the sound field from the transducers to take advantage of the ears natural structure to direct sound into the ear canal. The open-around-ear design minimizes acoustic reflections and controlling sound pressure, with the culmination of both innovations resulting in improved stereo imaging, a natural sound field, and the uncovering of the deepest dimensions of any song. "Our ears are as individual as fingerprints, so when you put a driver right on top of the eardrum like most headphones do, it will sound good for some and bad for others," shares Grell. "By positioning the driver in front of the ear, we're bringing the natural geometry of the ear into the sound forming process, allowing the brain to equalize the sound. Combined with its open-around-ear design, these signature headphones create a rich and pure audio experience."

As computers and tablets got smaller and thinner, their connection ports ironically got less and less convenient. Since they limit our ability to connect other devices and accessories, we usually have to rely on adapters, but this 13-in-1 docking station brings back the days of when things were built-in for $49.99 (reg. $70). The docking station plugs into your iMac, Windows laptop, Microsoft Surface, iPad Pro, or any other device with a USB-C port. Then, you can use any of the following connections, as long as your device supports them:

With all of these connection options, you could connect three additional displays with HDMI and VGA, transfer data with USB-C and an SD card, plug audio accessories in with the 3.5 mm audio connection, and charge devices with USB 3.0 and 2.0. This 13-in-1 docking station is highly reviewed on Amazon, with 4.1 out of 5 stars from more than 2,800 reviews. On StackSocial, it has a solid 5-star rating, with reviewers talking about using it for their iMacs and MacBook Pros, writing "it works great with all the different ports no longer provided on laptops" and "it's nice not having to plug in all of these other dongles but just one that can handle everything".

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MSI, a leading innovator in technology solutions, proudly unveils the MS-C903, a versatile embedded system designed to meet the demanding requirements of various industries including transportation, gaming, medical, automation, and robotics. Engineered to excel in challenging conditions, the MS-C903 ensures reliable operation in harsh environments with temperatures ranging from -20 to 70°C. Its wide voltage DC input (12~24 V) with overcurrent protection (OCP) and overvoltage protection (OVP) guarantees stable power supply. Enhanced security features include hardware monitoring with a 256-level watchdog timer and an Infineon TPM Controller (SLB9670VQ2.0/FW7.85). Compliant with IEC 61373 standards, its anti-vibration and shockproof design ensures durability. With multiple mounting options including wall mount, DIN rail, and VESA mount, the MS-C903 offers flexible installation. Additionally, its excellent performance, driven by Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake-UP3 Embedded/Industrial SKU Series and ample I/O interfaces, makes it ideal for diverse applications.

Yesterday, Apple launched its next-generation M4 chip based on Apple Silicon custom design. The processor is a fourth-generation design that brings AI capabilities and improved CPU performance. First debuting in an iPad Pro, the CPU has been benchmarked in Geekbench v6. And results seem to be very promising. The latest M4 chip managed to score 3,767 points in single-core tests and 14,677 points in multi-core tests. Compared to the M3 chip, which scores 3,087 points in single-core and 11,702 in multi-core tests, the M4 chip is about 22% faster in single-core and 25% faster in multi-core synthetic benchmarks.

Of course, these results are not real-world use cases, but they give us a hint of what the Apple Silicon design team has been working on. For real-world results, we have to wait a little longer to see reviews and results from devices such as MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which should have better cooling and possibly better clocks for the chip.

SK hynix announced today that it has developed the Zoned UFS, or ZUFS 4.0, a mobile NAND solution product for on-device AI applications. SK hynix said that the ZUFS 4.0, optimized for on-device AI from mobile devices such as smartphones, is the industry's best of its kind. The company expects the latest product to help expand its AI memory leadership to the NAND space, extending its success in the high-performance DRAM represented by HBM.

The ZUFS is a differentiated technology that classifies and stores data generated from smartphones in different zones in accordance with characteristics. Unlike a conventional UFS, the latest product groups and stores data with similar purposes and frequencies in separate zones, boosting the speed of a smartphone's operating system and management efficiency of the storage devices.

Corsair announced today that it has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire sim racing specialist Endor AG, owners of the world famous Fanatec brand. Corsair has reached an agreement with Endor to fund its short-term cash needs while both companies negotiate a restructuring of Endor's approximately €70 million of debt, which will ultimately result in Corsair acquiring Endor. "Fanatec is an incredible brand with a strong community, and we believe Corsair is the ideal home for Fanatec's loyal customers, employees and business partners," said Corsair CEO, Andy Paul. "This transaction would solve the company's significant debt load and position the company for growth and continued product portfolio expansion."

This sentiment is echoed by Endor. "We are very pleased to have found a strategic investor in Corsair who knows our market well and wants to invest for the long term," said Andres Ruff, CEO and Chief Restructuring Officer of Endor. Endor is a leading manufacturer of dedicated sim racing hardware, including force feedback steering wheels, pedals, and complete cockpits for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC-based racing simulators. This acquisition bolsters the investment Corsair has made in the simulation space, and means it is uniquely positioned going forward to provide peerless sim racing solutions.

The Sennheiser brand today unveiled the freshest member of the acclaimed HD 600 series, offering audiophiles a compelling take on closed headphones for private, reference listening without compromise. "The hi-fi community has clamored for a headphone with the best traits from our 600 series, yet isolates them from distractions at work, home, or in-between," said Audiophile Product Manager Jermo Koehnke. "Not only does the HD 620S deliver on that promise, its immersive imaging and brilliant impulse response make it an exceptional listening experience for every situation where a higher level of performance matters."

The family tree
At the heart of the HD 620S is a custom-tuned 42 mm dynamic transducer made at the brand's state-of-the-art Tullamore, Ireland transducer plant. It carries forward the smooth and effortless sound found in the open-back 600 family with a modern, airy signature that balances honesty with deep and articulate bass. Thanks to a high damping factor, the 150-ohm aluminium voice coil excels at speedy transients and well-defined instrument tails for punchy dynamics across the entire frequency spectrum—a boon for audiophiles and passionate gamers trying to consume as much detail as possible in a given moment.

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BenQ, the globally renowned brand of digital lifestyle devices and pioneer of professional display technology, today announces the upcoming launch of the RD Series, the world's first line of monitors custom-crafted to meet the unique and extensive needs of programmers. Equipped with BenQ-exclusive Fine-Coated Panel (varies by models), with advanced anti-glare, anti-reflective properties designed specifically for coding, RD Series offers devs utter clarity to focus entirely on long lines of code. "As a user-centric company, BenQ is dedicated to prioritising the needs of its users," said Conway Lee, President of BenQ Corporation. "With a sincere commitment to serving the community, we aim to bring innovation to life and pave the way for the future by introducing the world's first programming monitors in the RD Series."

RD Series displays promote programming productivity with an advanced coding mode, delivering crystal-clear fonts for improved code differentiation in both light and dark themes adaptable to diverse development work environments. Accessible at the touch of the dedicated Coding HotKey at the centre of the function bar, the RD Series coding mode readily helps programmers achieve a focused state of flow.

Amid an AI revolution sweeping through trillion-dollar industries worldwide, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang will deliver a keynote address ahead of COMPUTEX 2024, in Taipei, outlining what's next for the AI ecosystem. Slated for June 2 at the National Taiwan University Sports Center, the address kicks off before the COMPUTEX trade show scheduled to run from June 3-6 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. The keynote will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. Taiwan time (4 a.m. PT) on Sunday, June 2, with a replay available at NVIDIA.com.

With over 1,500 exhibitors from 26 countries and an expected crowd of 50,000 attendees, COMPUTEX is one of the world's premier technology events. It has long showcased the vibrant technology ecosystem anchored by Taiwan and has become a launching pad for the cutting-edge systems required to scale AI globally. As a leader in AI, NVIDIA continues to nurture and expand the AI ecosystem. Last year, Huang's keynote and appearances in partner press conferences exemplified NVIDIA's role in helping advance partners across the technology industry.

Today, in advance of ISC High Performance 2024, SpiNNcloud Systems announced the commercial availability of its SpiNNaker2 platform, a supercomputer-level hybrid AI high-performance computer system based on principles of the human brain. Pioneered by Steve Furber, designer of the original ARM and SpiNNaker1 architectures, the SpiNNaker2 supercomputing platform uses a large number of low-power processors for efficiently computing AI and other workloads.

First-generation SpiNNaker1 architecture is currently used in dozens of research groups across 23 countries worldwide. Sandia National Laboratories, Technical University of München and Universität Göttingen are among the first customers placing orders for SpiNNaker2, which was developed around commercialized IP invented in the Human Brain Project, a billion-euro research project funded by the European Union to design intelligent, efficient artificial systems.

Intel is giving its next-generation desktop processor lineup the Core Ultra 200 series processor model numbering. We detailed the processor numbering in our older report. The Core Ultra 200 series would be the company's first desktop processors with AI capabilities thanks to an integrated 50 TOPS-class NPU. At the heart of these processors is the "Arrow Lake" microarchitecture. Its development is the reason the company had to refresh "Raptor Lake" to cover its 2023-24 processor lineup. The company's "Meteor Lake" microarchitecture topped off at CPU core counts of 6P+8E, which would have proven to be a generational regression in multithreaded application performance over "Raptor Lake." The new "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor has a maximum CPU core configuration of 8P+16E, which means consumers can expect at least the same core-counts at given price-points to carry over.

According to a report by Chinese tech publication Benchlife.info, the introduction of "Arrow Lake" would see Intel's desktop processor model numbering align with that of its mobile processor numbering, and incorporate the Core Ultra brand to denote the latest microarchitecture for a given processor generation. Since "Arrow Lake" is a generation ahead of "Meteor Lake," processor models in the series get numbered under Core Ultra 200 series.

Leading digital lifestyle accessories brand, Trust Electronics Ltd, is pleased to announce the expansion of its gaming portfolio with the launch of its two new mechanical gaming keyboards, the Torix and Acira. Both providing different options for gamers, the Torix is a full-size mechanical gaming keyboard that combines premium features with an intuitive design whereas the Acira is a 60% mini mechanical keyboard which leans towards the rising trend in compact gaming keyboards. The Trust Torix is available to buy from Very for £59.99 and the Trust Acira is available to buy from Very for £39.99. Trust GXT 866 Torix Premium Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Available from Very for £59.99.

The Trust GXT 866 is a premium mechanical gaming keyboard that is designed to elevate player's gaming experiences. Combining premium features with an intuitive design, it delivers high performance and precision to gamers. Designed with both new and hardcore gamers in mind, the Torix brings a new level of performance and durability to the Trust Gaming range. Boasting low profile keys equipped with Mechanical Huano Linear switches, gamers can expect swift key presses, up to 50 million keystrokes, and extra comfortable typing for smooth and enjoyable gameplay. Not just excelling in performance, the Torix also has style. Featuring full RGB backlighting, users can completely customise the lighting to suit their style or mood. With 16.8 million colour combinations and effects to choose from and the possibility to customise each key separately, this is just one more way for gamers to fully immerse themselves in the game.

Corsair Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRSR) ("Corsair" or the "Company"), a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance products for gamers, streamers, content-creators, and gaming PC builders, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Select Financial Metrics

• Net revenue was $337.3 million compared to $417.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $354.0 million in the first quarter of 2023. Gaming Components and Systems segment net revenue was $230.3 million compared to $280.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $265.0 million in the first quarter of 2023, while Gamer and Creator Peripherals segment net revenue was $107.0 million compared to $136.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $88.9 million in the first quarter of 2023.
• Net loss attributable to common shareholders was $12.5 million, or net loss of $0.12 per diluted share, compared to net income of $6.2 million, or net income of $0.06 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2023 and a net loss of $1.1 million, or a net loss of $0.01 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2023.
• Adjusted net income was $9.5 million, or net income of $0.09 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $23.2 million, or net income of $0.22 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2023 and adjusted net income of $11.9 million, or net income of $0.11 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2023.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $18.0 million, compared to $33.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, and $20.6 million in the first quarter of 2023.
• Cash and restricted cash was $130.2 million as of March 31, 2024.

Personal computers (PCs) have been used as the major productivity device for several decades. But now we are entering a new era of PCs based on artificial intelligence (AI), thanks to the boom witnessed in generative AI (GenAI). We believe the inventory correction and demand weakness in the global PC market have already normalized, with the impacts from COVID-19 largely being factored in. All this has created a comparatively healthy backdrop for reshaping the PC industry. Counterpoint estimates that almost half a billion AI laptop PCs will be sold during the 2023-2027 period, with AI PCs reviving the replacement demand.

Counterpoint separates GenAI laptop PCs into three categories - AI basic laptop, AI-advanced laptop and AI-capable laptop - based on different levels of computational performance, corresponding use cases and the efficiency of computational performance. We believe AI basic laptops, which are already in the market, can perform basic AI tasks but not completely GenAI tasks and, starting this year, will be supplanted by more AI-advanced and AI-capable models with enough TOPS (tera operations per second) powered by NPU (neural processing unit) or GPU (graphics processing unit) to perform the advanced GenAI tasks really well.

The battle is over. Microsoft is finally changing the measuring methodology in its Task Manager from Mega Hertz (MHz) to Mega Transfers per second (MT/s). This comes amid the industry push for more technical correctness in RAM measuring, where the MHz nomenclature does not technically represent the speed at which the memory is actually running. While DRAM manufacturers list both MHz and MT/s, the advertised MHz number is much higher than the effective speed at which the DRAM is running, resulting in confusion and arguments in the industry about choosing the correct labeling of DRAM. A little history lesson teaches us that when single data rate (SDR) RAM was introduced, 100 MHz memory would perform 100 MT/s. However, when double data rate (DDR) memory appeared, it would allow for two memory transfers per clock cycle.

This would introduce some confusion where the MHz speed is often mixed up with MT/s. Hence, Microsoft is trying to repair the damage and list memory speeds in MT/s. Modern DDR5 memory makers are advertising DDR5 kits with "DDR5-4800" or "DDR5-6000," without any suffix like MHz or MT/s. This is because, for example, a DDR5-6000 kit runs at 6,000 MT/s, the effective speed is only 3,000 MHz. The actual clock of the memory is only half of what is advertised. The MT/s terminology would be more accurate and describe memory better. This Task Manager update is in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570 in the Beta Channel, which will trickle down to stable Windows 11 updates for everyone soon.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today announced an Intel Baseline BIOS update for BIOSTAR Intel 700/600 VALKYRIE, RACING, and SILVER series motherboards to improve system stability and performance. BIOSTAR has introduced an "Intel Default Settings" option in the BIOS to address stability issues with Intel 13th/14th K-SKU CPUs under high power consumption scenarios.

This feature, available through the CPU Power Management option, ensures improved system stability when using these high-performance CPUs. Users are encouraged to update their BIOS with the latest version available on the official BIOSTAR product page to access this new feature. The new "Intel Default Settings" mode feature will appear on the CPU Power Management option on your BIOS after you have completed upgrading to the latest BIOS. Committed to delivering exceptional hardware and support, BIOSTAR has collaborated closely with Intel to quickly roll out this update, ensuring that users experience optimal performance and enhanced system stability.

AMD is preparing a new processor naming scheme for its next-generation processors, targeting the ultraportable segment, according to a report by Chinese tech publication ITHome, citing sources in ASUS. The new naming scheme purports to make it easier for customers to identify processors with AI capabilities (integrated NPU), processor class (whether it's U, H, or HX), followed by a numerical component that lets customer know product grade. This runs contrary to yesterday's report that cited a Lenovo product flyer referencing a "Ryzen 8050 series." It remains to be seen if the 8050 series are a class of mainstream processors without AI capabilities, which is unlikely, given that Lenovo is using them with its premium ThinkPad T-series.

Recently, MINISFORUM officially starts showing the AtomMan X7 Ti on its website, which is the world's first Intel Ultra 9 AI Mini PC equipped with a dynamic screen. The X7 Ti pre-sale will begin at 19:00 PST on May 20th in the MINISFORUM official store. AtomMan is MINISFORUM's new high-end brand dedicated to developing cutting-edge and high-performance tech products. Currently, the AtomMan brand consists of two sub-series: X Series (Exploration/AI) and G Series (Gaming).

The AtomMan X7 Ti features an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, built on Intel's 4 nm process technology. It boasts 22 threads, 16 cores, a maximum frequency of 5.1 GHz, 24 MB of L3 cache, and a TDP of 65 W. The integrated Arc Iris Xe graphics come with 8 Xe cores and 8 additional ray tracing units, supporting AV1 encoding and decoding. With 128 execution units (FP32 cores), it also supports XeSS sampling technology, significantly enhancing 3D rendering, video editing, and live streaming workflows, making it ideal for playing AAA games.

The Sabrent USB-C to SATA/IDE 2.5"/3.5"/5.25" Drive Adapter (USB-DS12) is your one-stop storage management solution for SATA and IDE hard drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), and optical drives (CD/DVD-RW). It connects easily to Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, among other possible device hosts, via an integrated 5 Gbps (USB Gen 3.2 1x1) USB-C cable. The maximum speed of the connection depends on the drive's interface at speeds up to SATA 3 Gbps ("SATA-II" / SATA-300). The USB-DS12 adapter is plug and play with no drivers required and is hot-swappable for your convenience.

It's important to support devices both old and new. 3.5" and 5.25" drives require additional 12 V power to operate reliably, so we have included an external power supply. IDE drives may also require a 4-pin Molex style connector for power rather than an SATA power connector, so also included is an appropriate connector for maximum flexibility. The unit itself also has a power status LED to let you know when things are good to go. Plug everything in and get to retrieving or transferring your data, formatting or cloning your drive, or freely engage in other storage management operations.