GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, released the latest beta BIOS with Intel Baseline feature on Z790, B760 series motherboards for enhanced stability, regarding the feedback from Intel that high power consumption settings may cause system instability with 13/14th generation CPUs.⁠

GIGABYTE always prioritizes user experience, focusing on both performance and stability. Additionally, as a close ally of Intel, we promptly introduced the Intel Baseline feature with the latest beta BIOS. When using 13th and 14th generation K-SKU CPUs, the Intel Baseline setting will appear in the "Turbo Power Limits" option under "Advanced CPU Settings". After enabling Intel Baseline, the performance will be expected to be limited due to the power setting adjustments.

Western Digital Corp. today reported fiscal third quarter 2024 financial results.

"As evidenced by our excellent third quarter results, Western Digital continues improving through-cycle profitability and dampening business cycles by leveraging our strategy of developing a diversified portfolio of industry-leading products across a broad range of end markets," said David Goeckeler, Western Digital CEO. "We are in the early innings of unlocking the full potential of this company, and as industry supply and demand dynamics continue to improve, we will remain disciplined around our capital spending and focused on driving innovation and efficiency across our businesses. We are confident in our strategy and the actions we have taken to-date, which successfully position us to capitalize on the promising growth prospects that lie ahead."

Fulqrum Publishing and Ukrainian studio Best Way are excited to announce that their highly anticipated RTS title Men of War II releases on May 15, 2024 on PC. A date long-term fans may appreciate, as this marks the 10th anniversary since the full release of Men of War: Assault Squad 2. Following a number of public playtests last year, the team at Best Way opted to spend extra development time to incorporate feedback from the community. The fans will be able to enjoy the fruits of this extra labor at launch, as the game has received numerous technical improvements and bug fixes, as well as balancing and various upgrades to audio-visual quality since the last Open Beta.

Men of War II will launch with three playable nations - the Soviets, Americans and the Third Reich - each with their own narrative campaign, as well as two further Historical campaigns, a dynamic Conquest campaign and a skirmish-like Raid mode. All of the single-player content can also be played in co-op with up to five players, and the game offers extensive PvP and PvE multiplayer options, including ranked match-making for all three battle setups (Battalions, Combined Arms and Classic Mode).

As promised earlier, Capcom has released a new Dragon's Dogma 2 patch for PC and consoles, and while it does not bring any performance improvements to the game, which still lacks NVIDIA DLSS 3 support, it brings some much-needed gameplay tweaks and fixes.

The April 25th Update, as it is called, mostly improves the game's Pawns, allowing users to zoom in on the faces of the Arisen and Pawns, as well as their general behavior and dialogue. The update also adds several fixes, including fixes for issues in escort quests and fighting monsters in town which results in jail time. Capcom did say it also fixed some crashes and freezes in specific circumstances, as well as other miscellaneous bugs, but no further details were given.

Team Group Inc. has been committed to developing a wide range of memory products for years and has received international recognition for long-term efforts. Today, Team Group proudly announces that the gaming label and creator label, T-FORCE and T-CREATE, have taken home four awards from the Red Dot Design Award 2024 for the T-FORCE DARK AirFlow I SSD Cooler, T-FORCE SIREN GD120S AIO SSD Cooler, T-FORCE XTREEM DDR5 Desktop Memory, and T-CREATE CinemaPr P31 External SSD. The success is a testimony to Team Group's outstanding R&D capability and incredibly innovative designs, which have once again propelled new heights on the stage of a world-class design award.

One of the four most prestigious design awards in the world, the Red Dot Design Award of Germany is an important indicator of industrial design and development trends around the world. The Red Dot received thousands of submissions from over 60 countries in 2024, all vying for the highly influential award. Submissions are judged by a panel of experts, hailing from all over the world, on their innovation, solution, product, design, and concept. Team Group sub-labels, T-FORCE and T-CREAT, stood out with stellar R&D and quality designs, adding to Team Group's illustrious history.

Intel Corporation today reported first-quarter 2024 financial results. "We are making steady progress against our priorities and delivered a solid quarter," said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. "Strong innovation across our client, edge and data center portfolios drove double-digit revenue growth in Intel Products. With Intel 3 in high-volume production, leading-edge semiconductors are being manufactured in the U.S. for the first time in almost a decade and we are on track to regain process leadership next year as we grow Intel Foundry. We are confident in our plans to drive sequential growth throughout the year as we accelerate our AI solutions and maintain our relentless focus on execution, operational discipline and shareholder value creation in a dynamic market."

"Q1 revenue was in line with our expectations, and we delivered non-GAAP EPS above our guidance, driven by better-than-expected gross margins and strong expense discipline," said David Zinsner, Intel CFO. "Our new foundry operating model, which provides greater transparency and accountability, is already driving better decision-making across the business. Looking ahead, we expect to deliver year-over-year revenue and non-GAAP EPS growth in fiscal year 2024, including roughly 200 basis points of full-year gross margin improvement." In the first quarter, the company used $1.2 billion in cash from operations and paid dividends of $0.5 billion.

After careful consideration over the last year, we at Blizzard have made the decision not to hold BlizzCon in 2024. This decision was not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it. While we're approaching this year differently and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years.

Over the next few months, we'll be sharing more details about our launches coming later this year, including World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo IV's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. To celebrate these upcoming releases and to bring our communities together in new and special ways, we will soon share some exciting plans for other industry trade shows and conventions like Gamescom. We can't wait to tell you more about those plans soon. We're also looking forward to the Overwatch Champions Series' stops at both Dreamhack Dallas and Dreamhack Stockholm. And we're thrilled to be planning multiple, global, in-person events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Warcraft, which will be held in addition to the in-game celebrations across our Warcraft games throughout 2024. While these events are distinct from BlizzCon, we're harnessing all of our creativity and imagination to ensure that they carry the same spirit of celebration and togetherness.

A 75% compact mechanical gaming keyboard with a customizable screen and a retro-themed outlook, the Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 VIA is designed for an extreme gaming and typing experience.

75% Compact Layout with a Built-in LCD Screen
79 keys mechanical keyboard - Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 VIA saves more desktop space while retaining the functions of a full keyboard. The Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 VIA boasts a remarkable 1.14-inch customizable RGB screen, offering a new dimension of interaction and personalization. As VIA compatible, the Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 VIA allows users to create macros and remap keys. Equipped with on-board memories, the key changes can be saved in different layers and the keyboard can be easily switched to different layers with a few shortcuts. The TH80 Pro V2 VIA is available in 2 themes, Retro White and Silver Black. In honor of the vintage style, the keycap of the keyboard features a retro white color scheme in the popular cherry profile and is made of PBT materials dye-subbed technique, making it more durable and resistant and staying true to the original color. Compatible Image Tool is available for customization to showcase crucial keyboard stats, system info, or personalized logos and animations.

Fanatec is pleased to announce that it is continuing as an Official Licensee of Formula 1 and Official Provider of Formula 1 Sim Racing with a new multi-year agreement. Since 2018, both parties have continued to push the boundaries of real-world motorsport and sim racing, giving fans across the world the chance to experience the rush and thrill of the world's greatest sports and entertainment spectacle in their own home, and in the Fan Zones and Paddock Club of Formula 1 races across the globe. As part of the new deal, Fanatec will also continue as the Official Provider of Formula 1 Sim Racing, supplying teams and drivers with a full racing set up including a steering wheel, pedals, direct drive wheel base, and cockpit. Round three of the 2024 F1 Sim Racing Championship will take place on May 7.

The ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 is the latest officially licensed F1 hardware package from Fanatec, combining a new F1 Steering Wheel with unique blue forged carbon finish together with the acclaimed 15Nm ClubSport DD+ Wheel Base. Officially licensed by PlayStation for PS5 and PS4 consoles, this product was developed under the official licensing and approval of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Cooler Master, a global leader in PC components, gaming peripherals, and tech lifestyle solutions, has today launched the MasterBox 600 - the latest offering in their renowned ATX case lineup. The MasterBox 600, is packed with features designed to provide great performance and is still easy to build. Features like a back-connected motherboard support to versatile cooling options and a removable HDD cage, ensure the MasterBox 600 is designed to provide the ultimate case for just about any type of build.

AMD has released the latest version of Adrenalin Edition graphics drivers, version 24.4.1 WHQL. It includes support for the upcoming Manor Lords game, as well as add performance improvements for HELLDIVERS 2 game, and adds AMD HYPR-Tune support to Nightingale and SKULL AND BONES games. New drivers also expand Vulkan API extensions support with VK_KHR_shader_maximal_reconvergence and VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering_local_read, as well as include support and optimizations for Topaz Gigapixel AI application, versions 7.1.0 and 7.1.1, with new "Recovery" and "Low Resolution" AI upscaling features.

New AMD Software Adrenalin Edition 24.4.1 WHQL drivers come with several fixes, including performance improvements for HELLDIVERS 2, fix for intermittent application crash in Lords of the Fallen on Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards, various artifact issues in SnowRunner and Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition on Radeon RX 6800 and Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards, fix for intermittent application crash or driver timeout in Overwatch 2 when Radeon Boost is enabled on Radeon RX 6000 and above series graphics cards, intermittent crash while changing Anti-Aliasing settings in Enshrouded on Radeon 7000 series graphics cards, and various application freeze or crash issues with the SteamVR while using Quest Link on Meta Quest 2 or when screen sharing with Microsoft Teams.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 24.4.1 WHQL

Leading digital lifestyle accessories brand, Trust Electronics Ltd, is pleased to unveil the latest addition to its gaming arsenal, the Trust GXT926 Redex II Wireless Gaming Mouse. Designed to take the gaming experience to unprecedented heights, the Redex II combines cutting-edge technology with sustainable materials to offer gamers unparalleled performance and style. Compatible with Windows 10 and 11, the Redex II is the ultimate gaming companion for enthusiasts. The Trust GXT926 Redex II Wireless Gaming Mouse is available from Argos for £24.99.

For ultimate versatility the ergonomically designed Redex II allows users to choose between ultra-low latency wireless connectivity via the 2.4 GHz USB dongle, providing up to 65 hours of continuous use, or opt for the wired mode using the included 1.6 m Play & Charge cable. With dual-mode connection, the Redex II ensures seamless gaming, whether its wireless freedom or the reliability of a wired connection. Thanks to the Redex II's adjustable and highly accurate optical sensor gamers can make moves with confidence. With a DPI range of up to 10,000, this mouse is engineered to deliver precise movements, fast reactions, and consistent victories, ideal for intense matches and non-stop wins.

Support for Battle.net on GeForce NOW expands this GFN Thursday, as titles from the iconic StarCraft and Diablo series come to the cloud. StarCraft Remastered, StarCraft II, Diablo II: Resurrected and Diablo III are part of 16 new games joining the GeForce NOW library of more than 1,900 titles. Plus, a new update rolling out for members this week brings AV1 streaming to Mac M3 computers. This feature will improve game-streaming quality for members on M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max devices

Plenty of Space in Hell
Dive into the original Blizzard games that set the stage for real-time strategy and action role-playing games (RPGs). StarCraft Remastered, StarCraft II, Diablo II: Resurrected and Diablo III bring galactic warfare, epic quests and legendary battles to the cloud. In StarCraft Remastered, command one of three races - Terran, Zerg or Protoss - as they desperately struggle for survival. Build bases, gather resources and engage in intense battles using unique units and strategies. Continue the saga with StarCraft II, with enhanced graphics and extended storytelling. Save the galaxy from emergent threats in full-length Terran, Zerg and Protoss campaigns. Take charge of all multiplayer units solo in Versus Mode, team up with a friend for Co-Op Missions or explore community-created game modes in the Arcade.

SK hynix showcased its next-generation technologies and strengthened key partnerships at the TSMC 2024 Technology Symposium held in Santa Clara, California on April 24. At the event, the company displayed its industry-leading HBM AI memory solutions and highlighted its collaboration with TSMC involving the host's CoWoS advanced packaging technology.

TSMC, a global semiconductor foundry, invites its major partners to this annual conference in the first half of each year so they can share their new products and technologies. Attending the event under the slogan "Memory, the Power of AI," SK hynix received significant attention for presenting the industry's most powerful AI memory solution, HBM3E. The product has recently demonstrated industry-leading performance, achieving input/output (I/O) transfer speed of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) in an AI system during a performance validation evaluation.

Organizing your hard drive is a process, and it's more than just keeping your device free of clutter. If you use automated cloud storage, it means making sure the correct files are placed in synced folders. If you're concerned about cybersecurity, it means keeping your essential files in encrypted folders, and a disk management tool may make it easier to stay on top of all that and more.

EaseUS Partition Master is a comprehensive disk management tool you can use to partition hard drives, allocate disk space, and organize data effectively. Offering a wide range of partitioning features, it enables users to create, resize, move, extend, merge, split, format, and perform other operations on both HDD and SSD drives, and a lifetime subscription has been marked down 49%.

Get a lifetime subscription to EaseUS Partition Master for $34.99 (reg. $69).

Lords of the Fallen got a new big update that is now live for both PC and consoles, and brings several new features, improvements, and fixes, as well as support for AMD FSR 3. Called the Master of Fate, the new version 1.5 update is the culmination of over 30 updates released since launch and should significantly improve performance, stability and optimization, as well as bring difficulty balancing based on the feedback from gamers.

According to the full release notes released over at Steam, the biggest update is the new Advanced Game Modifier System, which will be available to both new and old players, and brings several content and quality of life enhancements. In addition, the new Version 1.5 update also adds support for AMD FSR 3 and fixes several issues, including a multiplayer issue where the player can fall through the elevator, a fix to increase the maximum stack count of Vestige Seeds from 5 to 99, and a fix for a rare crash caused by AI.

ASRock Technology, a global leader in motherboard manufacturing, today announced the release of the latest AGESA beta BIOS for AM5 motherboards, enabling support for next-generation Ryzen processors. ASRock AM5 motherboard lineup can now support next-generation AMD Ryzen processors with the installation of the latest new AGESA 1.1.7.0 beta BIOS, significantly improving processor compatibility and providing users of ASRock AM5 motherboards with enhanced Ryzen processor support.

Users can easily update to the latest AGESA 1.1.7.0 beta BIOS through ASRock official website or using features like BIOS Flashback and Instant Flash. ASRock recommends that users update to the latest BIOS version as soon as possible to achieve better compatibility and system performance. The official version is expected to be released later, so please stay tuned to the ASRock official website for the latest updates.

The Flash Pro Plus graphene power bank does a little bit of everything. It has 25,000mAh battery capacity, USB-C and USB-A ports, MagSafe and Apple Watch wireless charging, and enough energy to power your laptop. It was designed by Panasonic, successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo, and for a limited time, it's being sold for 27% off its typical price: $199.99 (reg. $319).

Surprisingly, the Flash Pro Plus can do all of that while only weighing 1.28 pounds. It's certainly not the most compact portable charger out here, but it's an all-in-one solution for commuters and travelers who only want to pack one device. It's not just widely compatible, it's also tremendously capable, being able to do all of the above functions simultaneously with 190 W maximum output: 50 W USB-A, 15 W wireless charging, and 100 W, 60 W, and 20 W USB-C. Charge up to six devices at once and view real-time information on the OLED display.

Stay connected with the Flash Pro Plus graphene power bank for $199.99 (reg. $319) and save $120.

AMD's next-generation Ryzen 9000 "Strix Point" mobile processor, which succeeds the current Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" and Ryzen 7040 "Phoenix," is confirmed to feature a CPU core-configuration of 12-core/24-thread, according to a specs-leak by HKEPC citing sources among notebook OEMs. It appears like Computex 2024 will be big for AMD, with the company preparing next-gen processor announcements across the desktop and notebook lines. Both the "Strix Point" mobile processor and "Granite Ridge" desktop processor debut the company's next "Zen 5" microarchitecture.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from "Zen 5" is that AMD has increased the number of CPU cores per CCX from 8 in "Zen 3" and "Zen 4," to 12 in "Zen 5." While this doesn't affect the core-counts of its CCD chiplets (which are still expected to be 8-core), the "Strix Point" processor appears to use one giant CCX with 12 cores. Each of the "Zen 5" cores has a 1 MB dedicated L2 cache, while the 12 cores share a 24 MB L3 cache. The 12-core/24-thread CPU, besides the generational IPC gains introduced by "Zen 5," marks a 50% increase in CPU muscle over "Hawk Point." It's not just the CPU complex, even the iGPU sees a hardware update.

Micron Technology, Inc., one of the world's largest semiconductor companies and the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, and the Biden-Harris Administration today announced that they have signed a non-binding Preliminary Memorandum of Terms (PMT) for $6.1 billion in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to support planned leading-edge memory manufacturing in Idaho and New York.

The CHIPS and Science Act grants of $6.1 billion will support Micron's plans to invest approximately $50 billion in gross capex for U.S. domestic leading-edge memory manufacturing through 2030. These grants and additional state and local incentives will support the construction of one leading-edge memory manufacturing fab to be co-located with the company's existing leading-edge R&D facility in Boise, Idaho and the construction of two leading-edge memory fabs in Clay, New York.

TSMC today unveiled its newest semiconductor process, advanced packaging, and 3D IC technologies for powering the next generation of AI innovations with silicon leadership at the Company's 2024 North America Technology Symposium. TSMC debuted the TSMC A16 technology, featuring leading nanosheet transistors with innovative backside power rail solution for production in 2026, bringing greatly improved logic density and performance. TSMC also introduced its System-on-Wafer (TSMC-SoW) technology, an innovative solution to bring revolutionary performance to the wafer level in addressing the future AI requirements for hyperscaler datacenters.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of TSMC's North America Technology Symposium, and more than 2,000 attended the event, growing from less than 100 attendees 30 years ago. The North America Technology Symposium in Santa Clara, California kicks off TSMC Technology Symposiums around the world in the coming months. The symposium also features an "Innovation Zone," designed to highlight the technology achievements of our emerging start-up customers.

Intel released the latest version of Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Released today is the 101.5445 WHQL, which is a minor update over the 101.5444 Beta drivers from last weekend. It comes with Game On optimization for "Manor Lords." It includes all the DirectX 11 game-specific performance uplifts referenced in the change-log of the 101.5444 Beta drivers, and its fixed issues; but fixes an additional issue on top—lower than expected performance with "A Plague Tale: Requiem." Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5445 WHQL

Aetina, a leading Edge AI solution provider, announced the launch of the Aetina IA380E-QUFL at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany. This groundbreaking product is a small form factor PCIe graphics card powered by the high-performance Intel Arc A380E GPU.

Unmatched Power in a Compact Design
The Aetina IA380E-QUFL delivers workstation-level performance packed into a low-profile, single-slot form factor. This innovative solution consumes only 50 W, making it ideal for space and power-constrained edge computing environments. Embedded system manufacturers and integrators can leverage the power of 4.096 TFLOPs peak FP32 performance delivered by the Intel Arc A380E GPU.

Thermaltake USA, a leading provider of PC case, cooling, power supply, and desktop memory solutions, today announced the nationwide release of the Smart BM3 Bronze and ToughPower GF A3 Gold series power supplies at Best Buy stores. These cutting-edge products are designed to meet the needs of the most demanding gaming and graphic setups, offering power ratings from 650 W to 1200 W. Featuring full ATX 3.0 and PCIe Gen 5 compliance and equipped with the revolutionary 12VHPWR connector, these power supplies are ready to support the most advanced graphics cards available on the market.

"Best Buy has been a pivotal partner for Thermaltake as we strive towards sustainability. Through our collaborative efforts, significant milestones that benefit both the industry and the environment have been achieved," said Michael Guo, Vice President of Thermaltake USA. "We are excited to introduce six new models from our prestigious PSU series, each designed to prioritize energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. These models, certified with the eco-friendly 80 Plus Gold rating, underscore our commitment to green computing. The launch of these PSUs at Best Buy marks a significant step in Thermaltake's mission to innovate and provide tailored solutions that promote sustainability in the gaming industry."

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it recorded 12.43 trillion won in revenues, 2.886 trillion won in operating profit (with an operating margin of 23%), and 1.917 trillion won in net profit (with a net margin of 15%) in the first quarter. With revenues marking an all-time high for a first quarter and the operating profit a second-highest following the records of the first quarter of 2018, SK hynix believes that it has entered the phase of a clear rebound following a prolonged downturn.

The company said that an increase in the sales of AI server products backed by its leadership in AI memory technology including HBM and continued efforts to prioritize profitability led to a 734% on-quarter jump in the operating profit. With the sales ratio of eSSD, a premium product, on the rise and the average selling prices rising, the NAND business has also achieved a meaningful turnaround in the same period.

ASUS today announced that the TUF Gaming Capture Box-4K Pro has won a prestigious iF Design award. This high-performance device allows users to capture and broadcast their gaming, video or live events in stunning 4K resolution. With seamless compatibility, variable refresh rate and up to 4K 60 FPS capture, it's the essential tool for content creators and streamers. Thanks to HDMI 2.1, the TUF Gaming Capture Box-4K Pro has the bandwidth to support lossless high-resolution and high-refresh-rate passthrough of up to a 4K 144 Hz HDR signal, in addition to 4K 60 FPS capture. Or, for users who want to high-refresh-rate experiences, both 1440p and 1080p capture resolutions support 120 FPS, with passthrough of 144 Hz and 240 Hz, respectively.

At all resolutions, the TUF Gaming Capture Box-4K Pro also supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) passthrough, ensuring a local video signal never has lag or screen tearing. It also features an onboard processor to support up to 4K upscaling and downscaling, ensuring that users can play at whichever resolution they prefer and send their stream at any resolution the platform supports. And thanks to support for both consoles and PC graphics cards, it's easy for users to stream their adventures to the world, however they choose to play.

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The US government is investigating the potential national security risks associated with China's involvement in the development of open-source RISC-V chip technology. According to a letter obtained by Reuters, the Department of Commerce has informed US lawmakers that it is actively reviewing the implications of China's work in this area. RISC-V, an open instruction set architecture (ISA) created in 2014 at the University of California, Berkeley, offers an alternative to proprietary and licensed ISAs like those developed by Arm. This open-source ISA can be utilized in a wide range of applications, from AI chips and general-purpose CPUs to high-performance computing applications. Major Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba and Huawei, have already embraced RISC-V, positioning it as a new battleground in the ongoing technological rivalry between the United States and China over cutting-edge semiconductor capabilities.

In November, a group of 18 US lawmakers from both chambers of Congress urged the Biden administration to outline its strategy for preventing China from gaining a dominant position in RISC-V technology, expressing concerns about the potential impact on US national and economic security. While acknowledging the need to address potential risks, the Commerce Department noted in its letter that it must proceed cautiously to avoid unintentionally harming American companies actively participating in international RISC-V development groups. Previous attempts to restrict the transfer of 5G technology to China have created obstacles for US firms involved in global standards bodies where China is also a participant, potentially jeopardizing American leadership in the field. As the review process continues, the Commerce Department faces the delicate task of balancing national security interests with the need to maintain the competitiveness of US companies in the rapidly evolving landscape of open-source chip technologies.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today is excited to announce a brand-new BIOS update designed for its AMD AM5 series motherboards, incorporating the latest AGESA PI 1.1.7.0 Patch A architecture. This update is aimed at the imminent release of AMD's next-generation CPUs, ensuring that BIOSTAR motherboards are primed to unleash the full potential of these cutting-edge processors. With a strong focus on future-ready performance, this BIOS update will be available to download soon and is ready to redefine computing power and performance with the latest AMD processors. BIOSTAR invites users to stay tuned to its official website for the BIOS release and future updates.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today expands the leading Snapdragon X Series platform portfolio with Snapdragon X Plus. Snapdragon X Plus features the state-of-the-art Qualcomm Oryon CPU, a custom-integrated processor that delivers up to 37% faster CPU performance compared to competitors, while consuming up to 54% less power. This remarkable advancement in CPU performance sets a new standard in mobile computing, enabling users to accomplish more with greater efficiency. Snapdragon X Plus is also designed to meet the demands of on-device AI-driven applications, powered by the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU capable of 45 TOPS, making it the world's fastest NPU for laptops. This platform is a significant leap in computing innovation and is set to transform the PC industry.

"Snapdragon X Series platforms deliver leading experiences and are positioned to revolutionize the PC industry. Snapdragon X Plus will power AI-Supercharged PCs that enable even more users to excel as radical new AI experiences emerge in this period of rapid development and deployment," said Kedar Kondap, senior vice president and general manager of compute and gaming, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "By delivering leading CPU performance, AI capabilities, and power efficiency, we are once again pushing the boundaries of what is possible in mobile computing."

Dynabook Americas, Inc., the gold standard for long-lasting, professional-grade laptops, today unveiled the latest generation of its hyperlight 14-inch premium business laptop - the Portégé X40L-M. Now engineered with cutting-edge Intel Core Ultra (Series 1) processors and packing advanced AI capabilities, this powerful laptop redefines productivity, performance, and security for today's on-the-go professionals, while meeting Intel EVO platform and Windows 11 Secured-core PC standards.

"The Portégé X40L-M is a testament to Dynabook's commitment to delivering premium, cutting-edge solutions that empowers professionals to achieve more in their work," said James Robbins, General Manager, Dynabook Americas, Inc. "With the integration of Intel's latest Core Ultra processors, advanced AI capabilities, and seamless Windows 11 with Copilot integration, the Portégé X40L-M sets a new standard for productivity, performance, and innovation in the business laptop market."

Wacom, the leading innovator of digital pen and ink solutions, today announced the launch of Wacom Movink, the first OLED pen display designed and developed to meet the needs of creative professionals, digital artists and design students. Wacom Movink is a radically new product category that combines the professional pen experience of the Wacom Pro Pen 3 with a brilliant 13.3" inch full HD OLED display in a super slim, ultra-light, highly versatile, portable device at a competitive price. Because it works with most operating systems, users have access to their full software suite without compromising on performance, precision and preferred operating system.

Wacom Movink is the perfect device for creative professionals looking to extend their existing studio set up with a compact, portable solution that enables seamless transitions between various locations such as the studio, client meetings, university, home or any other space in between where all-in-one solutions may lack the necessary software and computing power to support professional workflows.

SMART Modular Technologies, Inc. ("SMART"), a division of SGH (Nasdaq: SGH) and a global leader in memory solutions, solid-state drives, and advanced memory, announces its new family of Add-In Cards (AICs) which implements the Compute Express Link (CXL) standard and also supports industry standard DDR5 DIMMs. These are the first in their class, high-density DIMM AICs to adopt the CXL protocol. The SMART 4-DIMM and 8-DIMM products enable server and data center architects to add up to 4 TB of memory in a familiar, easy-to-deploy form factor.

"The market for CXL memory components for data center applications is expected to grow rapidly. Initial production shipments are expected in late 2024 and will surpass the $2 billion mark by 2026. Ultimately, CXL attach rates in the server market will reach 30% including both expansion and pooling use cases," stated Mike Howard, vice president of DRAM and memory markets at TechInsights, an intelligence source to semiconductor innovation and related markets.

Today, award-winning designer of personal audio technology JLab, introduced the JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds. Building on the success of its true wireless earbuds line, the latest generation adds incredible battery life—more than 42 hours of playtime—and Smart Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology. The adaptable noise cancellation feature includes three modes: ANC On, ANC Off and Be Aware. Be Aware allows just enough outside noise to keep wearers safe when running outdoors, riding bikes, working out with friends, or operating in a co-working environment. The JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds are now available in Black at Amazon, Argos, Very and the JLab official website with an RRP of £59.99.

Not much bigger than a USB flash drive, the JBuds ANC 3 case is a demure 2.45-inches long, 1-inch wide and 1.64-inches tall, weighing in at less than 40 grams with the earbuds—roughly the weight of a deck of playing cards. This makes the JBuds ANC 3 incredibly small and portable for everyday use. "Usability is a huge factor when discussing true wireless earbuds and it's the main attraction with our newest JBuds ANC 3 true wireless earbuds," said Win Cramer, JLab CEO. "Not only did we add active noise canceling technology to improve the overall listening experience, but we did so in a way that it can be used in a variety of situations. With JBuds ANC 3, it's possible to get just enough listening privacy and access to the world around you with just a few taps."

AMD is readying a new line of EPYC branded server processors in the Socket AM5 package, VideoCardz reports. The new processor lineup is being built to target two distinct classes of customers—small business servers, and data-centers selling small-size dedicated servers that were otherwise having to offer Ryzen chips. Intel currently has the Xeon E-2400 series "Raptor Lake-E" processors in the Socket LGA1700 package to target these exact kinds of customers. The EPYC 4004 series will be based on the same "Raphael" package as the Ryzen 7000 series, and will be a step up from the Ryzen PRO 7000 series. What sets the Ryzen PRO 7000 apart from the EPYC 4004 series are the target markets. The Ryzen PRO series target commercial desktops. Perhaps the biggest differentiator between EPYC 4004 and Ryzen PRO 7000 series is the support and warranty AMD provides to its server processors.

The "Raphael" package gives the EPYC 4004 series CPU core counts ranging between 6 and 16. These CPU cores are based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture. The memory controllers in the I/O die will probably be reconfigured to support server memory densities, besides ECC support like on the Ryzen PRO 7000 series. There's even talk of variants with 3D V-cache, although it remains to be seen if the 12-core and 16-core variants are similar to the 7900X3D and 7950X3D, where only one of the two CCDs has 3D V-cache; or if they're the chip we all dreamed about—a "Raphael" with both CCDs featuring 3D V-cache. There are already Socket AM5 motherboards by companies such as Advantech, which are server-grade, with server-relevant I/O, like the one pictured below, and so the ecosystem for EPYC 4004 series already exists, along with upgrade headroom for future generations.

Microsoft over late-Tuesday started distributing the KB5036980 optional update to Windows 11 users, which effectively makes the operating system adware (software that displays ads to support its author). The update gets the Windows 11 Start Menu to display ads in the "Recommended" section that suggests apps and games for you to download from the Microsoft Store, subscribe to Copilot Pro, etc. While the update is currently optional, the changes contained in it will be made part of next month's "Patch Tuesday" update.

This wouldn't be the first time Microsoft is advertising software, the OEM versions of Windows 11 can be customized by PC manufacturers to pre-install bloatware, or suggest apps or services for users to buy within the Start or Apps menus. You usually uninstall the pre-installed bloatware, and dismiss recommendations. Today's update is different, in that even the Retail versions of Windows (without the bloatware) start receiving ads. Luckily, these ads are not inescapable, you can disable them. Head over to Settings > Personalization > Start, and uncheck the toggle that reads "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more."

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it plans to expand production capacity of the next-generation DRAM including HBM, a core component of the AI infrastructure, in response to the rapidly increasing demand for AI semiconductors. As the board of directors approves the plan, the company will build the M15X fab in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, for a new DRAM production base, and invest about 5.3 trillion won for fab construction.

The company plans to start construction at the end of April with an aim to complete in November 2025 for an early mass production. With a gradual increase in equipment investment planned, the total investment in building the new production base will be more than 20 trillion won in the long-term. As a global leader in AI memory, SK hynix expects the expansion in investment to contribute to revitalizing the domestic economy, while refreshing Korea's reputation as a semiconductor powerhouse.

North American customers are increasing their orders for storage products as energy efficiency becomes a key priority for AI inference servers. This, in turn, is driving up demand for QLC enterprise SSDs. Currently, only Solidigm and Samsung have certified QLC products, with Solidigm actively promoting its QLC products and standing to benefit the most from this surge in demand. TrendForce predicts shipments of QLC enterprise SSD bits to reach 30 exabytes in 2024—increasing fourfold in volume from 2023.

TrendForce identifies two main reasons for the increasing use of QLC SSDs in AI applications: the products' fast read speeds and TCO advantages. AI inference servers primarily perform read operations, which occur less frequently than the data writing required by AI training servers. In comparison to HDDs, QLC enterprise SSDs offer superior read speeds and have capacities that have expanded up to 64 TB.

Today we're taking the next step toward our vision for a more open computing platform for the metaverse. We're opening up the operating system powering our Meta Quest devices to third-party hardware makers, giving more choice to consumers and a larger ecosystem for developers to build for. We're working with leading global technology companies to bring this new ecosystem to life and making it even easier for developers to build apps and reach their audiences on the platform.

Introducing Meta Horizon OS
This new hardware ecosystem will run on Meta Horizon OS, the mixed reality operating system that powers our Meta Quest headsets. We chose this name to reflect our vision of a computing platform built around people and connection—and the shared social fabric that makes this possible. Meta Horizon OS combines the core technologies powering today's mixed reality experiences with a suite of features that put social presence at the center of the platform.

Unreal Engine 5.4 is here, and it's packed with new features and improvements to performance, visual fidelity, and productivity that will benefit game developers and creators across industries. With this release, we're delivering the toolsets we've been using internally to build and ship Fortnite Chapter 5, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival, and LEGO Fortnite. Here are some of the highlights.

Animation
Character rigging and animation authoring
This release sees substantial updates to Unreal Engine's built-in animation toolset, enabling you to quickly, easily, and enjoyably rig characters and author animation directly in engine, without the frustrating and time-consuming need to round trip to external applications. With an Experimental new Modular Control Rig feature, you can build animation rigs from understandable modular parts instead of complex granular graphs, while Automatic Retargeting makes it easier to get great results when reusing bipedal character animations. There are also extensions to the Skeletal Editor and a suite of new deformer functions to make the Deformer Graph more accessible.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, released the latest AGESA 1.1.7.0 beta bios for the coming AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors boot-up support on GIGABYTE AM5 X670, B650, A620 motherboards, and for present Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series processors as well.⁠ The AGESA 1.1.7.0 beta BIOS is now ready on the GIGABYTE official website, and the formal release will be in mid-May. Users can easily update the BIOS using GIGABYTE's ＠BIOS, Q-Flash, or Q-Flash Plus technology. For more update, please pay close attention to the official GIGABYTE website.

ASUSTOR and ULINK joined forces to launch the drive health analysis tool, DA Drive Analyzer 2.0. ULINK uses a large amount of statistical data in its cloud AI platform to analyze and compare to provide ASUSTOR NAS users with comprehensive disk health monitoring and failure prediction. Use DA Drive Analyzer 2.0 to make drive replacement plans based on relevant information to strengthen data security and minimize system downtime. ASUSTOR NAS devices support NVMe SSDs, 2½" SSDs and hard drives. DA Drive Analyzer 2.0 supports every type of drive that an ASUSTOR NAS supports. Use DA Drive Analyzer 2.0 in conjunction with other data protection features for more data security.

DA Drive Analyzer 2.0 supports uploading disk health data to its central datacenter where it equips powerful AI computing capabilities to monitor disk health, and receive real-time alerts on disk health and potential failures. Prediction can potentially warn users of an imminent risk of data loss. This ensures efficient and safe file maintenance and management by professional IT personnel as well as end users.

AMD is reportedly planning to launch the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F Socket AM5 desktop processors for a global launch, in the retail channel, as boxed processors. The two chips had launched earlier this month in the Chinese retail market. The 8700F reportedly comes with an OPN of 100-100001590BOX, while the 8400F is marked 100-100001591BOX. The "F" in both SKUs denotes a lack of integrated graphics. The Ryzen 7 8700F is an 8-core/16-thread processor based on the 4 nm "Hawk Point" silicon, while the 8400F is a 6-core/12-thread processor based on "Phoenix 2," which offers two "Zen 4" cores that run at higher clock speeds, and four "Zen 4c" cores that run at lower speeds.

The lack of an iGPU isn't the only thing differentiating the 8700F from the 8700G, the new chip even comes with slightly lower CPU clock speeds—100 MHz lower base and maximum boost frequencies. The 8700F CPU runs at a base frequency of 4.10 GHz, with 5.00 GHz maximum boost, when compared to the 4.20/5.10 GHz speeds of the 8700G. The 8400F, on the other hand, runs at 4.20 GHz base frequency, and a 4.70 GHz maximum boost frequency that applies to at least its two "Zen 4" cores; its four "Zen 4c" cores run at lower frequencies. There is no word on pricing. One reason you could want an 8700F over something like a 7700 would be its appetite for memory overclocking, if you can overlook the lack of integrated graphics, a smaller L3 cache, and most importantly, the lack of PCIe Gen 5, and four fewer PCIe lanes.

Today, we have the latest round of leaks that suggest that AMD's upcoming RDNA 4 graphics cards, codenamed the "RX 8000-series," might continue to rely on GDDR6 memory modules. According to Kepler on X, the next-generation GPUs from AMD are expected to feature 18 Gbps GDDR6 memory, marking the fourth consecutive RDNA architecture to employ this memory standard. While GDDR6 may not offer the same bandwidth capabilities as the newer GDDR7 standard, this decision does not necessarily imply that RDNA 4 GPUs will be slow performers. AMD's choice to stick with GDDR6 is likely driven by factors such as meeting specific memory bandwidth requirements and cost optimization for PCB designs. However, if the rumor of 18 Gbps GDDR6 memory proves accurate, it would represent a slight step back from the 18-20 Gbps GDDR6 memory used in AMD's current RDNA 3 offerings, such as the RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX GPUs.

AMD's first generation RDNA used GDDR6 with 12-14 Gbps speeds, RDNA 2 came with GDDR6 at 14-18 Gbps, and the current RDNA 3 used 18-20 Gbps GDDR6. Without an increment in memory generation, speeds should stay the same at 18 Gbps. However, it is crucial to remember that leaks should be treated with skepticism, as AMD's final memory choices for RDNA 4 could change before the official launch. The decision to use GDDR6 versus GDDR7 could have significant implications in the upcoming battle between AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel's next-generation GPU architectures. If AMD indeed opts for GDDR6 while NVIDIA pivots to GDDR7 for its "Blackwell" GPUs, it could create a disparity in memory bandwidth performance between the competing products. All three major GPU manufacturers—AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel with its "Battlemage" architecture—are expected to unveil their next-generation offerings in the fall of this year. As we approach these highly anticipated releases, more concrete details on specifications and performance capabilities will emerge, providing a clearer picture of the competitive landscape.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveils the apex of esports engineering - the Razer Viper V3 Pro. Crafted in close collaboration with top esports pros, including zekken, Champion and MVP of the recent VALORANT Champions Tour Masters Madrid, this mouse has been battle-tested in the most demanding competitive environments.

"The Viper V3 Pro has transformed my gameplay," said Zachary "zekken" Patrone, Pro VALORANT player for Sentinels. "Its lightweight new design hands me an edge that feels almost unfair. It's a game-changer for esports pros." Redesigned from the inside out to prioritize an ultra-lightweight build and best-in-class performance, the Viper V3 Pro is available in Black and White editions, seamlessly fitting into any competitive setup.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ: STX), the leading innovator of mass-capacity storage solutions, today reported financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended March 29, 2024. "Seagate's March quarter revenue grew 6% and non-GAAP EPS more than doubled over the December quarter as we benefit from improving cloud demand, our strong operating discipline and price execution. This combination sets the foundation for a return to target margin performance as the markets recover," said Dave Mosley, Seagate's chief executive officer.

"This constructive demand backdrop is well-timed as we prepare to ramp our Mozaic products, anchored by industry-leading HAMR technology. HAMR-based products offer compelling economic value for our customers and position Seagate to drive further financial performance gains, as well as capitalize on favorable long-term demand for mass capacity storage."

Korean media reports that Samsung Electronics has signed a 4.134 trillion Won ($3 billion) agreement with AMD to supply 12-high HBM3E stacks. AMD uses HBM stacks in its AI and HPC accelerators based on its CDNA architecture. This deal is significant, as it gives analysts some idea of the kind of volumes of AI GPUs AMD is preparing to push into the market, if they know what percent of an AI GPU's bill of materials is made up by memory stacks. AMD has probably negotiated a good price for Samsung's HBM3E 12H stacks, given that rival NVIDIA almost exclusively uses HBM3E made by SK Hynix.

The AI GPU market is expected to heat up with the ramp of NVIDIA's "Hopper" H200 series, the advent of "Blackwell," AMD's MI350X CDNA3, and Intel's Gaudi 3 generative AI accelerator. Samsung debuted its HBM3E 12H memory in February 2024. Each stack features 12 layers, a 50% increase over the first generation of HBM3E, and offers a density of 36 GB per stack. An AMD CDNA3 chip with 8 such stacks would have 288 GB of memory on package. AMD is expected to launch the MI350X in the second half of 2024. The star attraction with this chip is its refreshed GPU tiles built on the TSMC 4 nm EUV foundry node. This seems like the ideal product for AMD to debut HBM3E 12H on.

LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it has developed the first-ever Gaming OLED panel with a switchable refresh rate and resolution. The company has begun mass production of the 31.5-inch panel this month, accelerating its push into the high-end gaming display market with new concept products.

This groundbreaking Gaming OLED panel allows users to freely choose between a high refresh rate (FHD 480 Hz) and a high-resolution mode (UHD 240 Hz) depending on the content.

A recent Reuters investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting Chinese universities and research institutes may have circumvented US sanctions on high-performance NVIDIA GPUs by purchasing servers containing the restricted chips. The sanctions tightened on November 17, 2023, prohibit the export of advanced NVIDIA GPUs like the consumer GeForce RTX 4090 to China. Despite these restrictions, Reuters found that at least ten China-based organizations acquired servers equipped with the sanctioned NVIDIA GPUs between November 20, 2023, and February 28, 2024. These servers were purchased from major vendors such as Dell, Gigabyte, and Supermicro, raising concerns about potential sanctions evasion. When contacted by Reuters, the companies provided varying responses.

Dell stated that it had not observed any instances of servers with restricted chips being shipped to China and expressed willingness to terminate relationships with resellers found to be violating export control regulations. Gigabyte, on the other hand, stated that it adheres to Taiwanese laws and international regulations. Notably, the sale and purchase of the sanctioned GPUs are not illegal in China. This raises the possibility that the restricted NVIDIA chips may have already been present in the country before the sanctions took effect on November 17, 2023. The findings highlight the challenges in enforcing export controls on advanced technologies, particularly in the realm of high-performance computing hardware. As tensions between the US and China continue to rise, the potential for further tightening of export restrictions on cutting-edge technologies remains a possibility.

Velocity Micro, the premier builder of award-winning enthusiast desktops, laptops, high performance computing solutions, and professional workstations announces the immediate availability of a line of Linux powered PCs preinstalled with Ubuntu 22.04. Systems are designed for a wide range of customers and use cases such as individual enthusiasts, CAD and content creation professionals, machine learning/AI, and enterprise, to bring the flexibility and security of an open source OS platform into the mainstream. Desktops start at $1,429 with Linux laptops starting at $1,199. Shipments begin immediately.

"We've been preinstalling various flavors of Linux on custom server and workstation builds for years, which has really afforded us the opportunity to get hands-on to learn the OS," said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. "We're excited to bring what we've learned to market and introduce our customers to Ubuntu Linux."

Over 500 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and barely a week goes by without an incredible new game integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex and advanced ray-traced effects to deliver the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Gray Zone Warfare, a highly anticipated new tactical shooter, is coming soon with DLSS 3, and the DLSS 3-enhanced Remnant 2 receives a new DLC expansion this week. Plus, Manor Lords, the #1 most wishlisted title on Steam, launches with support for DLSS 2, the latest Mortal Kombat 1 content has dropped and can be enjoyed at a maxed out 60 FPS with DLSS 2, and Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure arrives with day-one DLSS 2 support. Learn more about each announcement below.

Gray Zone Warfare Coming Soon With Support For DLSS 3 & Reflex
MADFINGER Games' Gray Zone Warfare is an immersive tactical FPS with a maximum focus on realism, and is one of Steam's 20 most wishlisted games. Following a mysterious event that took place on an island in Southeast Asia, the entire area has been put under international quarantine. With almost all the civilian population evacuated by the United Nations, three PMCs are tasked by their enigmatic clients to explore the region, uncover its secrets, and bring back anything of value.

Today, Lenovo launched its latest mobile workstation offerings meticulously crafted to deliver the exceptional power and performance essential for handling complex workloads. Lenovo's ThinkPad P1 Gen 7, P16v i Gen 2, P16s i Gen 3, and P14s i Gen 5, with their cutting-edge AI technologies, are set to transform the way professionals engage with AI workflows. By collaborating with industry partners, Intel, NVIDIA, and Micron, Lenovo has introduced powerful and performance-packed AI PCs that meet the demands of modern-day AI-intensive tasks. The inclusion of the Intel Core Ultra processors with their integrated neural processing unit (NPU) and NVIDIA RTX Ada Generation GPUs signifies a major advancement in AI technology, boosting overall performance and productivity capabilities.

The latest ThinkPad P series mobile workstations powered by Intel Core Ultra processors and NVIDIA RTX Ada Generation GPUs deliver flexible, high-performance, and energy-efficient AI-ready PCs. The integrated NPU is dedicated to handling light, continuous AI tasks, while the NVIDIA GPU runs more demanding day-to-day AI processing. This combination enables smooth and reliable functioning of AI technologies, serving professionals engaged in diverse tasks ranging from 3D modeling and scene development to AI inferencing and training.

Noctua today introduced its new NH-L12Sx77 low-profile CPU cooler for compact, powerful yet quiet Small Form Factor systems. The NH-L12Sx77 is a slightly taller variant of the award-winning NH-L12S, offering improved cooling performance as well as enhanced motherboard and RAM compatibility. "Our NH-L12S is a popular choice for compact builds in cases like the Fractal Design Terra or Louqe RAW S1, but due to its height of only 70 mm, RAM compatibility and clearance for tall motherboard components are limited. At the same time, many of these cases offer a bit of extra space", explains Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). "This is where the new NH-L12Sx77 steps in: It makes use of that extra space in order to provide enhanced compatibility and even better cooling performance, which comes in handy when building powerful gaming or productivity setups."

With 6 instead of 4 heatpipes, the NH-L12Sx77 offers significantly more headroom for higher heat-loads compared to the original NH-L12S. As such, it is ideal for getting the most out of today's high-end CPUs in compact cases where their aggressive turboboost modes are especially challenging to handle. The NH-L12Sx77 not only improves performance but also motherboard and RAM compatibility versus the original NH-L12S: Due to the x77 version's taller construction, clearance for RAM modules as well as motherboard heatsinks and shrouds could be increased significantly, which makes the cooler an easy fit in most configurations.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has begun mass production for its one-terabit (Tb) triple-level cell (TLC) 9th-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND), solidifying its leadership in the NAND flash market.

"We are excited to deliver the industry's first 9th-gen V-NAND, which will bring future applications leaps forward. In order to address the evolving needs for NAND flash solutions, Samsung has pushed the boundaries in cell architecture and operational scheme for our next-generation product," said SungHoi Hur, Head of Flash Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics. "Through our latest V-NAND, Samsung will continue to set the trend for the high-performance, high-density solid state drive (SSD) market that meets the needs for the coming AI generation."

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in standards development for the microelectronics industry, today announced publication of the JESD79-5C DDR5 SDRAM standard. This important update to the JEDEC DDR5 SDRAM standard includes features designed to improve reliability and security and enhance performance in a wide range of applications from high-performance servers to emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning. JESD79-5C is now available for download from the JEDEC website.

JESD79-5C introduces an innovative solution to improve DRAM data integrity called Per-Row Activation Counting (PRAC). PRAC precisely counts DRAM activations on a wordline granularity. When PRAC-enabled DRAM detects an excessive number of activations, it alerts the system to pause traffic and to designate time for mitigative measures. These interrelated actions underpin PRAC's ability to provide a fundamentally accurate and predictable approach for addressing data integrity challenges through close coordination between the DRAM and the system.

Sharkoon Technologies is an international supplier of high-quality, high-performance PC components and peripherals. Now, with the SKILLER SGH10, Sharkoon presents a headset that is based on the manufacturer's previous classic that was the SKILLER SGH1. The popular gaming headset now appears in the form of a new model that has undergone a careful modernization which retains unique visual features and, at the same time, focuses on the essentials.

Since the SKILLER SGH10, like the previous model, is designed to provide a particularly immersive gaming experience, the manufacturer has optimized the 40-millimeter drivers and, in addition, tuned them for a particularly powerful sound. The detachable, flexible microphone has also been designed with immersion in mind and, thanks to the new pop filter, should ensure even better communication with team colleagues and in meetings.

Intel's next-generation Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics architecture is expected to introduce a significant update to the display engine over the current Xe "Alchemist." The display engine handles the various display I/O of the GPU. For most users with a single display that's running at or under 4K @ 60 Hz, this is irrelevant, however, as your resolution, refresh-rates, color bit-depth, and dynamic-range go up, some of the newer display connector formats become relevant. Intel beat both NVIDIA and AMD to be the first GPU maker to implement DisplayPort 2.1 albeit with a UHBR10 link layer (which is needed for DP 2.1). The DP 2.1 spec prescribes certain optional higher link layer bit-rates, such as UHBR13.5 and UHBR20. AMD was the first to implement UHBR13.5 and UHBR20 with the Radiance display engine in its RDNA 3 GPUs, and we're learning that Intel wants to catch up.

Driver patch notes unearthed by Phoronix find references to Arc "Battlemage" GPUs supporting UHBR13.5. These drivers are believed to have previously supported UHBR20, but support for the higher bit-rate was removed from the current version of drivers. It indicates that Intel is still evaluating the higher bit-rates on its unreleased GPUs, and production-ready versions could implement at least UHBR13.5. DisplayPort 2.1 with UHBR13.5 (13.5 Gbps per lane), over a DP80-ready DisplayPort cable yields a maximum resolution of uncompressed 8K @ 60 Hz with HDR, or 4K @ 240 Hz with HDR. Intel is expected to debut "Battlemage" with its Core Ultra 200-series "Lunar Lake" mobile processors, later this year.

Last month, we covered ASML's plans to leave the Netherlands after a crisis with the Dutch government that prevented skilled immigrants from entering and working inside ASML's facilities. However, it appears that ASML has managed to strike a potential deal with the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his office about the company's plans to stay in the country. In an effort dubbed "Operation Beethoven," the Dutch government aimed to keep the tech giant in the country, with a deal now seemingly in place. AMSL's roadblocks and reasons for potentially leaving the Netherlands were difficulty in obtaining building permits, constraints on the electrical grid, transportation bottlenecks, and a need for supporting infrastructure like hospitals, schools, and housing. The most prominent of them was importing foreign labor in the form of highly skilled engineers and scientists needed to develop next-generation lithography machines.

According to the NLTimes, ASML now plans to potentially expand in the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven, with a creation of 20,000 new jobs in a 2.5 billion Euro investment from the Dutch government. "BIC is an interesting option for us, which we are now exploring together with the municipality of Eindhoven," noted ASML CFO Roger Dassen. Given that ASML needs to double its operations in the following decade to meet soaring demand, the company has many uncertainties. Questions of finding skilled immigrants and building infrastructure to support their needs remain the company's priority. In the Summer, the plan to support ASML's expansion will be voted in the Eindhoven City Council, which will decide the fate of ASML's stay in the Netherlands. An interesting comment from January from AMSL CEO Peter Wennik is, "Ultimately, we can only grow this company if there are enough qualified people. We prefer to do that here, but if we cannot get those people here, we will get those people in Eastern Europe or in Asia or in the United States. Then we will have to go there." The final decision still awaits.

Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced that it has begun sampling the latest generation of its Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Ver. 4.0 embedded flash memory devices. Supported in capacities of 256 gigabytes (GB), 512 GB, and 1 terabyte (TB), the new products are well suited for a variety of next-generation mobile applications, including leading-edge smartphones. The enhanced performance of the new UFS products provides optimal utilization of 5G connectivity, resulting in accelerated downloads, minimized latency, and an enhanced user experience. A smaller package size contributes to board space efficiency and design flexibility.

Kioxia was the first to introduce UFS technology, and continues to develop new products. The latest UFS Ver. 4.0 devices integrate the company's innovative BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and a controller in a JEDEC-standard package. UFS 4.0 incorporates MIPI M-PHY 5.0 and UniPro 2.0 and supports theoretical interface speeds of up to 23.2 gigabits per second (Gbps) per lane or 46.4 Gbps per device. UFS 4.0 is backward compatible with UFS 3.1.

Private Division, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and Wētā Workshop, known for their work on the world of Middle-earth for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, today revealed Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, a cosy Hobbit life sim set in the Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. Developed by Wētā Workshop Game Studio, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wētā Workshop, Tales of the Shire will launch in the second half of 2024 on the Nintendo Switch system, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

In Tales of the Shire, experience the storybook return to Middle-earth's most inviting region by living life as a Hobbit in the idyllic town of Bywater. Unwind in the breathtaking pastures, visit the townsfolks' local shops, or even enjoy second breakfast. Help bring the community together and achieve official village status by throwing the greatest Bywater Festival the Shire has ever seen!

Display specialist AOC proudly announces a new line of monitors meticulously crafted for the unique needs of creative professionals. With exceptional color accuracy, cutting-edge features, and a sleek, award-winning design, the AOC Graphic Pro U3 Series is set to revolutionize the way photographers, visual artists, designers, editors, broadcasters, producers, and gaming industry professionals work. The Graphic Pro U3 line-up introduces three models: two 27" (68.6 cm) displays, the Q27U3CV with QHD resolution, the U27U3CV with 4K UHD resolution, and the larger 31.5" (80 cm) U32U3CV with 4K UHD resolution.

"At AOC, we understand that creative professionals demand the very best tools to bring their visions to life," says Artem Khomenko, Head of Product Management at AOC. "We are beginning a new chapter in AOC's legacy. Our new Graphic Pro U3 Series is the result of our expertise in display technologies and our commitment to delivering high-quality, high-performance monitors that empower creators to push the boundaries of their craft. With exceptional color accuracy, hardware calibration with Calman Ready, versatile USB-C connectivity, and a sleek design, the new Graphic Pro monitors will deliver the perfect tools for content creators and designers."

DeepCool, a leader in innovative PC cooling solutions, unveils a compact solution for PC enthusiasts seeking portability without compromising performance - the CH160 ITX Case. The CH160 sets a new standard for portable PC cases, offering tremendous airflow in a sleek and stylish design. Its compact form factor showcases its powerful capabilities, by accommodating 140 mm ATX PSUs and 172 mm air coolers with ease. Say goodbye to limited desk space woes as the CH160 supports 3-slot GPUs up to 305 mm in length, directly inserted into the motherboard without a riser cable.


Portability meets versatility with the CH160. Equipped with mesh panels for optimal airflow, it ensures your components stay cool even in the tightest spaces. The inclusion of USB 3.0, Type-C, and hybrid audio ports in the I/O panel guarantees seamless connectivity, while three removable dust filters simplify maintenance. The DeepCool CH160 ITX Case is the perfect choice for users who demand performance without sacrificing portability. Whether you're a seasoned PC enthusiast or a casual user, the CH160 offers the perfect blend of style, functionality, and convenience.

The ROCCAT brand is officially reaching the end of its life today, as Turtle Beach has confirmed that ROCCAT will not be a separate brand anymore but rather integrated under the covers of Turtle Beach. Turtle Beach has noted: "We want to bring a greater level of integration to our family of products across console, PC and simulation. We felt that time and resources would be best spent focusing under a single brand and creating a range of products that matter most to gamers." ROCCAT was acquired by Turtle Beach in 2019 for $14.8 million to strengthen the company's positioning in the PC accessories market. At the time, ROCCAT's lineup of gaming keyboards, mice, headsets, and other peripherals complemented Turtle Beach's console-oriented product mix.

In a FAQ posted on its website, Turtle Beach also added: "While we'll be retiring the ROCCAT brand, many of its iconic product lines like the Vulcan, Kone, Burst and Sense will transition under the Turtle Beach brand. Our commitment to PC products remains as strong as ever and we have several ground-breaking new products to introduce as well as Turtle Beach-branded versions of popular existing ROCCAT products sticking around." For product support, the same teams are handling any customer support, and the company has merged them into a single new website, which handles tech and customer questions at support.turtlebeach.com. For returns, the company also takes care of ROCCAT products. The ROCCAT Swarm software will continue to work, even with Swarm II scheduled for a debut this year in Spring. From now on, all products will be under a single brand but will target the same audience. Turtle Beach will also rebrand the social media channels from ROCCAT to Turtle Beach PC. Refer to the FAQ posted on the official company website for more inquiries.

Global PC shipments grew around 3% YoY in Q1 2024 after eight consecutive quarters of declines due to demand slowdown and inventory correction, according to the latest data from Counterpoint Research. The shipment growth in Q1 2024 came on a relatively low base in Q1 2023. The coming quarters of 2024 will see sequential shipment growth, resulting in 3% YoY growth for the full year, largely driven by AI PC momentum, shipment recovery across different sectors, and a fresh replacement cycle.

Lenovo's PC shipments were up 8% in Q1 2024 off an easy comparison from last year. The brand managed to reclaim its 24% share in the market, compared to 23% in Q1 2023. HP and Dell, with market shares of 21% and 16% respectively, remained flattish, waiting for North America to drive shipment growth in the coming quarters. Apple's shipment performance was also resilient, with the 2% growth mainly supported by M3 base models.

iBUYPOWER, a leading manufacturer of high-performance pre-built gaming PCs and the official PC partner for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Americas, announced today its continuing to team up with Best Buy to debut two new pre-built systems featuring case colors and branding inspired by the popular esports competition. Both systems are now available exclusively at select Best Buy stores and on BestBuy.com.

Both systems are housed in the new iBUYPOWER Scale chassis and are part of the company's eighth generation of computer cases. This new case line is optimized for fast assembly, easy cable management, and high compatibility with a wide variety of PC parts. In addition to ample amounts of clearance to support the latest coolers (up to 360 mm) and graphics cards, VCT Americas fans can play in style as the Scale case features the official colors and branding of the VCT Americas.

Intel over the weekend released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics drivers. Version 101.5444 Beta comes with significant performance uplifts for certain DirectX 11 games. Tested at 1080p with an Arc A770 and the highest in-game settings, the driver provides an up to 30% performance increase with "Astroneer," an up to 5% increase with "Days Gone," an up to 15% increase with "Dyson Sphere Program," up to 14% increase with "Lethal Company" and "Mass Effect Legendary Edition," an up to 8% increase with "Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord," an impressive 36% increase with "Need for Speed: Heat," 5% increases for "Unturned" and VR Chat; and 7% increase with "World of Warships."

The drivers also extend performance uplifts to the Arc iGPUs powering Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" processors. Tested at 1080p with medium or default settings, you can expect an up to 10% increase for "American Truck Simulator," an up to 17% increase for "Dyson Sphere Program," an up to 12% increase with "Fortnite Performance Mode," an up to 11% increase with "Grim Dawn," up to 24% performance increase with "Lethal Company," an impressive 48% increase with "Mass Effect Legendary Edition," and an up to 19% increase with "Need for Speed: Heat." Among the handful issues fixed with this release include an application crash when launching "No Rest for the Wicked" when launching prologue gameplay; a fullscreen display corruption when switching windows using alt+tab in "Asseto Corsa," and a display corruption noticed in "Halo Infinite" with ray traced shadows enabled. On Arc iGPUs, an issue that caused "Diablo IV" to exhibit corruption on the terrain has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5444 Beta

As we enter the last full week of April, we're finally back to a busy release schedule again. This week's AAA title apparently had some last minute bugs squashed just this week, so let's hope the released game delivers on its promise. As for the rest of this week you can look forward to a VR horror shooter, a side scrolling action-adventure medtroidvania game, a Robin Hood wannabe game, a dungeon crawler you can play with friends online, a game about a hermit crab, a JRPG and finally a very sandy action RPG.

Manor Lords / This week's AAA release / Friday 26 April / Early Access
Manor Lords is a strategy game that allows you to experience the life of a medieval lord. Grow your starting village into a bustling city, manage resources and production chains, and expand your lands through conquest. Inspired by the art and architecture of late 14th century Franconia, Manor Lords prioritizes historical accuracy wherever possible, using it to inform gameplay mechanics and visuals alike. Common medieval tropes are avoided in favor of historical accuracy, in order to make the world feel more authentic, colorful, and believable. Steam Link

With 40+ years of experience in computer industry, SPARKLE is launching a series of graphics cards based on the recently launched Intel Arc GPU for edge and provide longevity support up to 5 years.

SPARKLE graphic cards feature high-efficiency AI, visual computing and media processing. GPU cards from SPARKLE are edge-focused form factors with long life and optimizations for embedded use conditions and improves development and operating efficiency based on an open ecosystem by leveraging AI inferencing software, OpenVINO which automatically distributes workloads across CPU and GPU. SPARKLE has prepared and showcased the full series of SPARKLE Intel Arc graphics cards targeted for the edge, based on Intel Arc A750E, A580E, A380E, A310E, A370E and A350E GPUs. These graphics cards come solid longevity support up to 5 years.

Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation today unveiled a variety of high-quality, performance-driven gaming headsets, keyboards and mice, all available for pre-order today and launching May 19, 2024.

"We're thrilled to debut our new lineup of innovative console and PC gaming accessories launching next month, all under our industry-leading Turtle Beach brand," said Cris Keirn, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. "Starting with our best-selling $99.99 MSRP wireless multiplatform headsets, we're adding to the Stealth 600 series' already robust feature set with our newly redesigned Stealth 600 models. Plus, we're expanding our wireless Stealth headset range with the introduction of our new $79.99 MSRP Stealth 500 models." Keirn continued, "2024 is set to be a momentous year full of amazing gaming accessories from Turtle Beach. Today's announcements are just the beginning of our 2024 lineup as we have even more slated to launch this fall, including a newly redesigned Stealth 700 headset, plus additional Turtle Beach PC gaming peripherals, controllers, and simulation gear."

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Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveils the Razer Kishi Ultra, a groundbreaking addition to the world of mobile gaming. The Kishi Ultra, a USB C gaming controller compatible with Android, iPhone 15 series, and iPad Mini, marks a paradigm shift in mobile gaming by offering gamers console grade control with immersive haptics. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, the Kishi Ultra is a full-size console-class controller featuring high quality ergonomics, haptics, and Razer Chroma RGB to deliver a true console gaming experience without compromise.

"With the Razer Kishi Ultra, we're not just elevating mobile gaming; we're transforming it," says Nick Bourne, Head of Razer's Mobile, Console & Streaming Division. "We've taken the essence of console gaming and distilled it into a form factor that works with more devices than ever before, ensuring that the ultimate gaming experience is always within reach."

ASUS today announced BIOS updates enabling support for next-gen AMD Ryzen processors on ASUS AM5 X670, B650 and A620 motherboards, as well as support for existing Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series processors. These updates are necessary to enable compatibility with these processors. BIOS updates for ASUS AM5 motherboards also add support for existing Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series processor.

The updates can be accessed on the ASUS BIOS update page for the models listed below.

It's time to get a little wicked. Members can now stream No Rest for the Wicked from the cloud. It leads six new games joining the GeForce NOW library of more than 1,500 games.

Holy Moly
No Rest for the Wicked is the highly anticipated action role-playing game from Moon Studios, developer of the Ori series, and publisher Private Division. Amid a plague-ridden world, step into the boots of a Cerim, a holy warrior on a desperate mission. The Great Pestilence has ravaged the land of Sacra, and a new king reigns. As a colonialist inquisition unfolds, engage in visceral combat, battle plague-infested creatures and uncover the secrets of the continent. Make the character you want with the game's flexible soft-class system, explore a rich storyline, and prepare for intense boss battles as you build up the town of Sacrament.

As a part of its Q1 earnings call discussion, one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers, TSMC, has unveiled a strategic move to charge a premium for chips manufactured at its newly established overseas fabrication plants. During an earnings call, TSMC's CEO, C.C. Wei, announced that the company will impose higher pricing for chips produced outside Taiwan to offset the higher operational costs associated with these international locations. This move aims to maintain TSMC's target gross margin of 53% amidst rising expenses such as inflation and elevated electricity costs. This decision comes as TSMC expands its global footprint with new facilities in the United States, Germany, and Japan (JAMS) to meet the increasing demand for semiconductor chips worldwide. The company's new US-based Arizona facility, known as Fab 21, has faced delays due to equipment installation issues and labor negotiations.

Chips produced at this site, utilizing TSMC's advanced N5 and N4 nodes, could cost between 20% to 30% more than those manufactured in Taiwan. TSMC's strategy to manage the cost disparities across different geographic locations involves strategic pricing, securing government support, and leveraging its manufacturing technology leadership. This approach reflects the company's commitment to maintaining its competitive edge while navigating the complexities of global semiconductor manufacturing in today's fragmented market. Introducing a location premium is expected to impact American semiconductor designers, who may need to pass these costs on to specific market segments, particularly those with lower price sensitivity, such as government-related projects. Despite these challenges, TSMC's overseas expansion underscores its adaptive strategies in the face of global economic pressures and industry demands, ensuring its continued position as a leading player in the semiconductor industry.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of the popular GPU-Z graphics sub-system information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility. Version 2.59.0 adds support for new GPUs, but also fixes a few important issues with the application. To begin with, support is added for the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada and RTX 1000 Ada Laptop GPUs. An application launch error on Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems reading "unsigned driver cannot load" has been fixed.

The other issues resolved mainly concern the way PCI resizable BAR status is detected. On external GPUs, resizable BAR status was appearing as "enabled." This has been fixed. eGPUs lack resizable BAR support due to the limitations of USB interconnect. On notebooks with NVIDIA Optimus GPUs that support resizable BAR, the status was being reported as "disabled" when the discrete GPU is sleeping, which has been fixed. Lastly, instances where resizable BAR support is reporting as "Yes" instead of "enabled" or "disabled" has been fixed. Grab TechPowerUp GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.59.0

Enthusiasts on the ChipHell forum scored an alleged image of AMD's upcoming "Strix Halo" mobile processor, and set out to create some highly plausible schematic slides. These are speculative. While "Strix Point" is the mobile processor that succeeds the current "Hawk Point" and "Phoenix" processors; "Strix Halo" is in a category of its own—to offer gaming experiences comparable to discrete GPUs in the ultraportable form-factor where powerful discrete GPUs are generally not possible. "Strix Halo" also goes head on against Apple's M3 Max and M3 Pro processors powering the latest crop of MacBook Pros. It has the same advantages as a single-chip solution, as the M3 Max.

The "Strix Halo" silicon is a chiplet-based processor, although very different from "Fire Range". The "Fire Range" processor is essentially a BGA version of the desktop "Granite Ridge" processor—it's the same combination of one or two "Zen 5" CCDs that talk to a client I/O die, and is meant for performance-thru-enthusiast segment notebooks. "Strix Halo," on the other hand, use the same one or two "Zen 5" CCDs, but with a large SoC die featuring an oversized iGPU, and 256-bit LPDDR5X memory controllers not found on the cIOD. This is key to what AMD is trying to achieve—CPU and graphics performance in the league of the M3 Pro and M3 Max at comparable PCB and power footprints.

The biggest benefit of the GeForce RTX 4060 "Ada" being based on the tiny AD107 silicon, and needing just four memory chips, is its tiny PCB footprint. This allows low-profile RTX 4060 graphics cards, as board partners found out. The GALAX RTX 4060 low-profile graphics card just made its debut in the Japan—a huge market for SFF and low-profile desktop PC hardware. The card is 18.2 cm long, and is exactly 6.9 cm tall, or what constitutes half-height. The card is 2 slots thick, and uses an aluminium fin-stack cooling solution that uses a trio of 40 mm fans.

Despite its limited PCB real-estate, the low-profile GALAX RTX 4060 wires out four display connectors—two each of DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1a. The card draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector at the tail-end of the card (so you might need a little extra clearance there). The most striking aesthetic aspect of the card is its all-white PCB, which combined with the white cooler shroud and fans, contrast the fin-stack heatsink. Out of the box, the card comes with its full-height bracket, which can be replaced with the included low-profile bracket. GALAX isn't the only brand with low-profile RTX 4060 cards, there are also such cards from ASUS and GIGABYTE.

Acer today expanded its line of Chromebook Plus laptops with the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T), providing users with a performance-minded, compact and durable model that enables them to do more with the AI-powered capabilities of ChromeOS. "The new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T) delivers the sought-after combination of a portable design, 14-inch Full HD display and performance-minded technology that lets users get the most out of exciting capabilities offered with Chromebook Plus," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, Acer Inc. "Students, businesses, families, and individuals need to be more productive, connected and empowered than ever, and can achieve this using Acer Chromebook Plus devices."

The new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is the latest addition to Acer's lineup of Chromebook Plus laptops that offer enhanced Chromebook performance and experiences, emphasizing better hardware designs with upgraded displays and cameras paired with powerful productivity, creativity, and multimedia capabilities. Like all Acer Chromebook Plus laptops, users have the power to do more with the new Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T). Powered by an Intel Core i3-N305 processor and an ample 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 provides 2x the speed, memory, and storage, giving responsive performance and efficient multitasking, whether running built-in AI-powered apps like Google Docs and Photos, watching favorite shows in full HD on a 1080p display, or movie-making with LumaFusion. Plus, the processor ensures all-day enjoyment with up to 11 hours of usage on the fast-charging battery.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with TSMC for collaboration to produce next-generation HBM and enhance logic and HBM integration through advanced packaging technology. The company plans to proceed with the development of HBM4, or the sixth generation of the HBM family, slated to be mass-produced from 2026, through this initiative.

SK hynix said the collaboration between the global leader in the AI memory space and TSMC, a top global logic foundry, will lead to more innovations in HBM technology. The collaboration is also expected to enable breakthroughs in memory performance through trilateral collaboration between product design, foundry, and memory provider. The two companies will first focus on improving the performance of the base die that is mounted at the very bottom of the HBM package. HBM is made by stacking a core DRAM die on top of a base die that features TSV technology, and vertically connecting a fixed number of layers in the DRAM stack to the core die with TSV into an HBM package. The base die located at the bottom is connected to the GPU, which controls the HBM.

Private Division, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Moon Studios are proud to announce that No Rest for the Wicked is now available on PC (via Steam) Early Access for an introductory price of $35.99 on Steam and the Private Division Store. Once purchased on Steam, No Rest for the Wicked is also playable by streaming the game via the NVIDIA GeForce NOW cloud gaming service (separate membership and sign-up required)—giving gamers instant access to GeForce PC performance on compatible PCs, Macs, SHIELD TVs, Android and iOS devices or Chromebooks without any downloads.

No Rest for the Wicked is a mature, precision Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG). The game features brutal combat, a richly detailed world, item crafting, and a customization system that enables your character to create unique equipment and housing with the help of your collection of artisans. No Rest for the Wicked features a deep plot supported by a rich cast of characters, all wrapped up in Moon's signature visual style that is as beautiful as an oil painting. The game is Moon's bold foray into the genre after successfully launching two critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning games - Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

Intel is preparing to unveil its cutting-edge Xeon 6 series server CPUs, known as Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest. These forthcoming processors are set to deliver a significant boost in performance, foreshadowing a new era of computing power, albeit with a trade-off in increased power consumption. Two days ago, Yuuki_Ans posted information about the Beechnut City validation platform. Today, he updated the X thread with more information that Intel is significantly boosting core counts across its new Xeon 6 lineup. The flagship Xeon 6 6980P is a behemoth, packing 128 cores with a blistering 500 Watt Thermal Design Power (TDP) rating. In fact, Intel is equipping five of its Xeon 6 CPUs with a sky-high 500 W TDP, including the top four Granite Rapids parts and even the flagship Sierra Forest SKU, which is composed entirely of efficiency cores. This marks a substantial increase from Intel's previous Xeon Scalable processors, which maxed out at 350-385 Watts.

The trade-off for this performance boost is a dramatic rise in power consumption. By nearly doubling the TDP ceiling, Intel can double the core count from 64 to 128 cores on its Granite Rapids CPUs, vastly improving its multi-core capabilities. However, this focus on raw performance over power efficiency means server manufacturers must redesign their cooling solutions to accommodate Intel's flagship 500 W parts adequately. Failure to do so could lead to potential thermal throttling issues. Intel's next-gen Xeon CPU architectures are shaping up to be one of the most considerable generational leaps in recent memory. Still, they come with a trade-off in power consumption that vendors and data centers will need to address. Densely packing thousands of these 500-Watt SKUs will lead to new power and thermal challenges, and we wait to see future data center projects utilizing them.

EK, the leading computer cooling solutions provider, is launching a special edition direct die water block explicitly engineered for the AMD AM5 socket and delidded Ryzen 7000 CPUs, including the X3D variants. The product deploys a custom-engineered cooling engine optimized only for AM5 direct die cooling. The cold plate contact surface is designed with protruding sections that perfectly match the CPU's chiplets and its I/O die.

The die guard that comes with the CPU requires removing the CPU loading mechanism. It ensures the PCB doesn't bend and makes an electrical connection with the socket pins. The latest water block features EK-Matrix7 compatibility, meaning the product's height and port distance are managed in 7 mm increments. The EK-Quantum Vector² RX 7900 XTX Radeon Edition inspires the new CPU water block design, featuring a black-anodized aluminium frame around the see-through acrylic top.

Elgato today announced Neo, a hardware line that merges high-end performance with plug-and-play simplicity. In total, Neo introduces five new products—a microphone, webcam, LED light, capture card, and Stream Deck. All five are designed to make activities like video calls and livestreams easier, working seamlessly on almost any system, including laptop and iPad. Meanwhile, Neo delivers the same high-quality standards Elgato is known for, helping creators and professionals present their best selves online. With prices ranging from $89.99 to $119.99, Neo offers great value for anyone looking to improve their setup.

Starting today, all five Neo products are available to order online, with availability at major retailers around the world coming soon. To learn more about the entire Neo family, customers can visit the Elgato website.

Over 500 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and barely a week goes by without an incredible new game integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects to deliver the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Next week the #1 most wishlisted title on Steam, Manor Lords, launches with support for DLSS, delivering the highest frame rates and image quality possible for GeForce RTX owners. And there are another two new DLSS games to check out, too. Learn more about each announcement below.

Manor Lords, The #1 Wishlisted Steam Game, Launches With DLSS 2 On April 26th
Created and coded by a solo developer, with publishing support from Hooded Horse, Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles, and complex economic and social simulations. Grow your starting village into a bustling city, manage resources and production chains, and expand your lands through conquest in Steam's most wishlisted game, followed by over 2 million users.

Nixxes Software has released official PC system requirements for Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut that will officially launch on May 16th. In addition, the game will be the first PlayStation title on PC that will use the PlayStation overlay. The game will also feature support for NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3 and Intel XeSS, as well as support for NVIDIA DLAA and AMD FSR 3 Native AA.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut on PC will feature the full game, the Iki Island expansion, and the cooperative online multiplayer Legends mode. It will also support cross-play, allowing games on PC to team up with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. Of course, you'll still need to sign in to PlayStation Network account for Legends mode. In addition, this will be the first game on the PC to use the new PlayStation overlay, allowing users on PC to access Friends list, Trophies, Settings, and Profile.

In the competitive world of gaming, where every millisecond counts, the tools you wield can make the difference between defeat and victory. Every keystroke matters.
At Razer, we've always been at the forefront of innovation, pushing the envelope to deliver the ultimate gaming experience. Our latest achievement, the Huntsman V3 Pro line of esports gaming keyboards, is equipped with the revolutionary Razer Analog Optical Switches Gen-2, featuring Rapid Trigger and Adjustable Actuation, epitomizing our commitment to cutting-edge technology.

Zero Debounce Delay: A Leap in Keyboard Technology
Optical Switches have set a new standard in the gaming world, transcending the limitations of traditional Mechanical Switches by eliminating debounce delay. This means the signal is sent instantly when you actuate the key, thanks to the light-based actuation mechanism of Optical Switches, enabling a level of performance that's unparalleled in the gaming sphere.

ZOTAC Technology is announcing a new lineup of enterprise and healthcare-oriented mini PCs designed for specific applications and scalable deployment, as well as a whole new class of external GPU acceleration platforms for Thunderbolt 3-compatible PCs. Aside from the all-new additions, ZOTAC is also refreshing its best-selling performance mini PCs with the newest generations of Intel Core Processors and NVIDIA RTX-enabled GPUs. ZOTAC will debut these rugged, innovative solutions and showcase other AI-ready compute solutions during Hannover Messe 2024, reaffirming ZOTAC's commitment to embrace the AI-driven future.

ZOTAC ZBOX Healthcare Series: Medical AI Solution
With the all-new ZOTAC Healthcare Series, ZOTAC is offering the reputed superior quality and performance of ZOTAC ZBOX Mini PCs to the realm of Healthcare. The ZBOX H39R5000W and ZBOX H37R3500W are equipped with 13th Generation Intel Core i9 or i7 laptop processors, as well as professional-grade NVIDIA RTX Ada Generation laptop GPUs. These mini PCs are ready to power medical imaging, algorithms, and more, with some of the latest and greatest hardware currently available.

Renowned global memory brand Team Group Inc. is committed to providing consumers with diverse and optimal storage solutions. Today, it proudly unveils the Team Group MP44Q M.2 PCIe 4.0 Solid State Drive, featuring the latest 3D QLC NAND technology, combining cutting-edge technology with the trend of demanding high storage capacity to meet daily system and file storage needs.

Team Group MP44Q M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD utilizes the latest 3D QLC NAND, offering capacities of up to 4 TB. With the PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface and SLC Caching technology, it achieves maximum sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and 6,500 MB/s, respectively. The MP44Q SSD operates with low power consumption, catering to all document processing and storage applications, significantly enhancing work efficiency. Paired with Team Group's exclusively patented graphene heat dissipation sticker, whose thickness is less than 1 mm, eliminating the potential for mechanical interference in any assembly, coupled with the native heat sink of the motherboard, such an arrangement effectively addresses the heat generated by high performance, extending the SSD's lifespan.

Ben Skeggs, a lead maintainer of the open-source NVIDIA GPU driver for Linux kernel called Nouveau, has joined NVIDIA. Working as an open-source contributor for the Nouveau driver for more than a decade, Ben Skeggs has achieved the remarkable feat of working to support the NVIDIA GPU hardware on open-source drivers. Before joining NVIDIA, Ben Skeggs worked at Red Hat up until September 18th of 2023. At that date, he posted that he was resigning from Red Hat and stepping back from the Nouveau open-source driver development. However, this news today comes as a bit of an interesting development, as Ben Skeggs is going to NVIDIA, which has been reluctant in the past to support open-source drivers.

Now, he is able to continue working on the driver directly from NVIDIA. He posted a set of 156 patches to the driver, affecting tens of thousands of lines of code. And he signed it all off from the official NVIDIA work address. This signals a potential turn in NVIDIA's approach to open-source software development, where the company might pay more attention to the movement and potentially hire more developers to support these projects. Back in 2012, NVIDIA had a different stance on open-source development, infamously provoking the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, to issue some snide remarks to the company. Hopefully, better days are ahead for the OSS world of driver development and collaboration with tech giants.

Today, Intel announced that it has built the world's largest neuromorphic system. Code-named Hala Point, this large-scale neuromorphic system, initially deployed at Sandia National Laboratories, utilizes Intel's Loihi 2 processor, aims at supporting research for future brain-inspired artificial intelligence (AI), and tackles challenges related to the efficiency and sustainability of today's AI. Hala Point advances Intel's first-generation large-scale research system, Pohoiki Springs, with architectural improvements to achieve over 10 times more neuron capacity and up to 12 times higher performance.

"The computing cost of today's AI models is rising at unsustainable rates. The industry needs fundamentally new approaches capable of scaling. For that reason, we developed Hala Point, which combines deep learning efficiency with novel brain-inspired learning and optimization capabilities. We hope that research with Hala Point will advance the efficiency and adaptability of large-scale AI technology." -Mike Davies, director of the Neuromorphic Computing Lab at Intel Labs

Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced that the companies successfully completed 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) tests for both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum bands, marking an industry-first for FDD. This innovative milestone and collaboration demonstrate the companies' dedication to supporting operators increase 5G throughput and boost spectral efficiency of their networks.

QAM is an advanced modulation technology to transmit data or information more efficiently. This directly relates to how many bits of data can be delivered in each transmission. While 256 QAM is widely used in commercial networks, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies recently accomplished the latest 1024 QAM defined in 3GPP Release 17 specifications. This enhanced QAM technology helps operators maximize their use of spectrum resources and allows mobile users to seamlessly enjoy various mobile services such as live video streaming and online multi-player gaming, which require higher download speeds.

Lenovo is putting finishing touches on the Yoga Slim 7 14 2024, one of the first non-reference laptop to feature Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X processor. Leaked images circulating on X (formerly Twitter) reveal a sleek and stylish design, with a 14-inch or 14.5-inch display encased in a slim and portable form factor. Qualcomm has previously showcased eye-catching demo reference systems in a striking red color scheme, but Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7 14 2024 marks the first time a significant laptop manufacturer with actual product images incorporating the Snapdragon X chip. The Yoga Slim 7 14 2024 is part of Lenovo's popular Slim laptop lineup, including models powered by Intel and AMD processors. The latest "Gen 8" iteration featured options for AMD Ryzen 7040 series and Intel 13th Gen Core i and Core Ultra series CPUs.

One notable addition to the Snapdragon X-powered model is the inclusion of a dedicated Microsoft Copilot button. Qualcomm has heavily touted the Snapdragon X's Neural Processing Unit (NPU) performance and its ability to directly accelerate various AI and machine learning algorithms on the device. There have been a few comparison points between Meteor Lake with Intel's NPU and Snapdragon X Elite with Qualcomm's NPU. The chipmaker's X Elite and X Plus laptop offerings are expected to arrive soon, and there are strong indications that this may happen during the Computex trade show.Update 17:28 UTC: X user WalkingCat has posted images of Lenovo Thinkpad T14s laptop, which can be seen below.

Today, ASML Holding NV (ASML) has published its 2024 first-quarter results.

• Q1 total net sales of €5.3 billion, gross margin of 51.0%, net income of €1.2 billion
• Quarterly net bookings in Q1 of €3.6 billion of which €656 million is EUV
• ASML expects Q2 2024 total net sales between €5.7 billion and €6.2 billion, and a gross margin between 50% and 51%
• ASML expects 2024 total net sales to be similar to 2023

CEO statement and outlook
"Our first-quarter total net sales came in at €5.3 billion, at the midpoint of our guidance, with a gross margin of 51.0% which is above guidance, primarily driven by product mix and one-offs. We expect second-quarter total net sales between €5.7 billion and €6.2 billion with a gross margin between 50% and 51%. ASML expects R&D costs of around €1,070 million and SG&A costs of around €295 million. Our outlook for the full year 2024 is unchanged, with the second half of the year expected to be stronger than the first half, in line with the industry's continued recovery from the downturn. We see 2024 as a transition year with continued investments in both capacity ramp and technology, to be ready for the turn in the cycle," said ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink.

MSI is here to announce the latest AGESA ComboPI 1.1.7.0 Patch A BIOS update for AM5 next gen CPU support on X670E, X670, B650, A620 motherboards. Users would simply need to update the BIOS to the latest version accordingly. MSI will continue to update the latest news for our users. Please follow MSI's official channels and check the product pages for the latest BIOS updates to guarantee optimal experience, heightened performance, and enhanced stability.

For more about MSI AMD 600 series motherboards, please check here.

Samsung Electronics America, the leader in advanced memory technology, today announced a new 512 GB capacity for its BAR Plus and FIT Plus USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drives. The newest drives introduce more storage capacity to the lineup in the same sleek designs, perfect for storing your favorite tunes, irreplaceable photos/videos, and important work or school documents. These USB flash drives help you back up your data and save time thanks to their high capacity, quick speeds, wide device compatibility, and reliability.

"We recognize that professionals across the U.S. have more data storage needs than ever. That's why we're introducing a new size option within our cutting-edge BAR Plus and FIT Plus USB Flash Drive line-up, ensuring there is a storage solution for everyone," said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung. "The drives are also intentionally designed to fit your personal style - whether you prefer something sleek and modern or unassuming and traditional, you can always be plugged in."

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is excited to introduce the all-new Intel Arc A380 ST graphics card. Engineered for the modern user, the Arc A380 ST is the pinnacle of performance and efficiency in the world of digital entertainment and casual gaming. Featuring the cutting-edge Intel Arc A380 ST Graphics Engine and built on the PCIe 4.0 interface, the Arc A380 ST reigns supreme in its category. With DirectX 12 Ultimate and OpenGL 4.6 support, the BIOSTAR Arc A380 ST graphics card promises unparalleled visual fidelity, allowing users to immerse themselves in the latest gaming titles and multimedia content with extraordinary clarity and detail.

With a robust 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 96-bit memory interface clocked at 15.5 Gbps, the Arc A380 ST provides the bandwidth and speed necessary for seamless gaming and multitasking. The card's energy-efficient design does not compromise performance, boasting a graphics clock of 2000 MHz while maintaining a low total board power of 75 W.

ASRock, the global leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, mini PCs and gaming monitors, today announced the launch of a brand-new generation of gaming monitors with a high refresh rate of 180 Hz. The initial models released are the highly anticipated PG27QFT2A and PG27QFT1B, featuring 27-inch QHD high-resolution IPS panels combined with 180 Hz high refresh rate technology. This delivers incredibly smooth visuals, catering to responsive gaming experiences and keeping players one step ahead in their games!

Not just fast, but faster than ever! The ASRock Phantom Gaming 180 Hz gaming monitor series is set to unleash a wave of speed, boasting a 25% increase in speed compared to conventional 144 Hz gaming monitors. This significant leap reduces motion blur and screen tearing, offering a highly clear and smooth visual experience. More than just dominating the gaming world, high refresh rate monitors are also perfect companions for creators. With seamless screen performance, they elevate the editing and content creation experience for film editors, content creators, and beyond.

EK, the leading computer cooling solutions provider, is launching its new Quantum Line cover for the D5 pumps, the EK-Quantum Convection D5 D-RGB. The new RGB-lit D5 cover is available in three distinct finishes - Silver, Black, and Nickel - to offer users different aesthetic options based on their preference and loop finish choice. The market-leading D5 pumps can now be upgraded with an RGB-illuminated CNC-machined aluminium cover, the EK-Quantum Convection D5 D-RGB. The cover is compatible with EK-Quantum Reflection distribution plates that feature a D5 pump and the D5-based EK-Quantum Kinetic FLT pump-reservoir combos. The top is detachable and can be rotated to ensure proper alignment of the EK badge. The product is available in three finishes—anodized silver, Black, and Nickel-plated variants, and can be fitted over genuine D5 pumps.

The cover is designed to improve the aesthetics of D5 pumps. A rectangular design with a convenient hole for routing the cable and hiding it as much as possible allows for a cleaner and sleeker look of the pump to better complement the aesthetics of a water-cooling loop. The D-RGB LED strip runs across the outside edge of the Convection D5 cover but is diffused by a milky white acetal piece, so there are no hotspots.

AI integration across design and productivity applications is becoming the new standard, fueling demand for advanced computing performance. This means professionals and creatives will need to tap into increased compute power, regardless of the scale, complexity or scope of their projects. To meet this growing need, NVIDIA is expanding its RTX professional graphics offerings with two new NVIDIA Ampere architecture-based GPUs for desktops: the NVIDIA RTX A400 and NVIDIA RTX A1000.

They expand access to AI and ray tracing technology, equipping professionals with the tools they need to transform their daily workflows. The RTX A400 GPU introduces accelerated ray tracing and AI to the RTX 400 series GPUs. With 24 Tensor Cores for AI processing, it surpasses traditional CPU-based solutions, enabling professionals to run cutting-edge AI applications, such as intelligent chatbots and copilots, directly on their desktops. The GPU delivers real-time ray tracing, so creators can build vivid, physically accurate 3D renders that push the boundaries of creativity and realism.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has developed the industry's first LPDDR5X DRAM supporting the industry's highest performance of up to 10.7 gigabits-per-second (Gbps). Leveraging 12 nanometer (nm)-class process technology, Samsung has achieved the smallest chip size among existing LPDDRs, solidifying its technological leadership in the low-power DRAM market.

"As demand for low-power, high-performance memory increases, LPDDR DRAM is expected to expand its applications from mainly mobile to other areas that traditionally require higher performance and reliability such as PCs, accelerators, servers and automobiles," said YongCheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning of the Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. "Samsung will continue to innovate and deliver optimized products for the upcoming on-device AI era through close collaboration with customers." With the surge in AI applications, on-device AI, which enables direct processing on devices, is becoming increasingly crucial, underscoring the need for low-power, high-performance LPDDR memory.

If you're looking for reliable data privacy tools that you can use across multiple devices, AdGuard VPN may be the way to go. This comprehensive VPN subscription lets you browse anonymously, connect to dozens of servers around the world, and share that security with multiple devices of your own or with other members of your family. VPNs can get pretty pricey, but AdGuard has a deal where you can get a one, three, or five-year subscription for a major markdown. The five-year AdGuard VPN Subscription is only $49.99, and the others are even cheaper.

AdGuard VPN is a comprehensive security solution to help you improve your online security. AdGuard gives you access to over 60 locations worldwide, so you can seamlessly bypass geographical restrictions and access international content, whether it's on streaming services or social media. There's more than just third party entities online to watch out for when you're trying to keep your data private. AdGuard has a zero-logging policy, so even they don't collect your data or monitor your internet traffic. That's what makes AdGuard such a worthwhile data privacy tool. And you can connect up to 10 devices, which means you can browse privately on multiple devices of your own or share the anonymity with the rest of your household.

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NVIDIA today released the latest GeForce 552.22 WHQL drivers. These come Game Ready for "Manor Lords," and "No Rest for the Wicked." For "Manor Lords," which goes live on April 26, the drivers add not just day-zero optimization, but also support for DLSS 2. The drivers also fix a couple of bugs, notably, stability issues for PUBG seen in extended gameplay sessions on Intel 12th Gen Core platforms. A bug that caused RTX 20-series and GTX 10-series GPUs to freeze with Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling and SLI enabled has been fixed. A system crash with bug-check on machines with HTC Vive Pro 2 and multi-displays has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 552.22 WHQL

Today, AMD announced new products that will expand its commercial mobile and desktop AI PC portfolio, delivering exceptional productivity and premium AI and connectivity experiences to business users. The new AMD Ryzen PRO 8040 Series are the most advanced x86 processors built for business laptops and mobile workstations. In addition, AMD also announced the AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series desktop processor, the first AI enabled desktop processor for business users, engineered to deliver cutting-edge performance with low power consumption.

With AMD Ryzen AI built into select models, AMD is further extending its AI PC leadership. By leveraging the CPU, GPU, and dedicated on-chip neural processing unit (NPU), new Ryzen AI-powered processors provide more dedicated AI processing power than previous generations, with up to 16 dedicated NPU TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) and up to 39 total system TOPS. Commercial PCs equipped with new Ryzen AI-enabled processors will help transform user experience, offering next-gen performance for AI-enabled collaboration, content creation, and data and analytics workloads. With the addition of AMD PRO technologies, IT managers can unlock enterprise-grade manageability features to simplify IT operations and complete PC deployment faster across the organization, built-in security features for chip-to-cloud defense from sophisticated attacks, as well as unprecedented stability, reliability and platform longevity for enterprise software.

Micron Technology, Inc., today demonstrated its continued NAND technology leadership by announcing that its 232-layer QLC NAND is now in mass production and shipping in select Crucial SSDs, in volume production to enterprise storage customers and sampling to OEM PC manufacturers in the Micron 2500 NMVe SSD.

Micron 232-layer QLC NAND delivers unparalleled performance for use cases across mobile, client, edge and data center storage by leveraging these important capabilities:

• Industry-leading bit-density, up to 28% more compact than leading competitors'1 latest products
• Industry-leading NAND I/O speeds of 2400 MT/s, a 50% improvement over the prior generation
• 24% better read performance over the prior generation
• 31% better programming performance over the prior generation

Lenovo has unveiled a selection of ThinkCentre desktops powered by AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series desktop processors with up to 16 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of integrated NPU capability dedicated to process AI workloads, including the performance focused ThinkCentre M75t Gen 5, the flexible ThinkCentre M75s Gen 5, and the compact ThinkCentre M75q Gen 5. Designed to meet the diverse needs of modern business, the ThinkCentre M75 Gen 5 family of desktops harnesses the AI capability of its component while optimizing its energy efficiency to deliver impressive results.

"The AI PC era is already here and at Lenovo we are embracing it to unlock new possibilities," said Sanjeev Menon, vice president and general manager, Worldwide Desktop Business in Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. "The need for businesses to integrate AI into their operations continues to grow and our ThinkCentre M75 family of desktops, with a strong and stable power supply, the ability to upgrade components when needed, and the space to expand memory and optimize thermal management are the ideal options to enhance productivity with AI without heavy investments. Lenovo and AMD have a long-standing partnership focused on delivering value to our customers and we know users will be delighted by the leap in performance of our new desktops."

Corsair proudly announced the launch of its new series of all-essential gaming headsets: HS35 v2 and HS35 SURROUND v2. Boasting exceptional wide-ranging audio and universal 3.5 mm connectivity, HS35 v2 and HS35 SURROUND v2 deliver game-changing sound, across multiple platforms. The HS35 v2 series opens up a rich world of audio. A pair of custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium drivers produces a powerfully wide range of sound, enabling you to detect new details within your games. And with a multiplatform 3.5 mm connection, these headsets aren't limited to PC gaming - plug in and play on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and more.

For an even more immersive experience, HS35 SURROUND v2 adds another dimension to your games' soundscapes. The included USB receiver unlocks industry-leading Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound on PC and Mac, placing in-game music, dialog, and audio cues all around you. Pinpoint the direction of enemy movements and abilities in competitive games such as Overwatch 2, or let yourself become completely engulfed in lush atmospheric titles like Starfield.

Cougar today introduced the FV270, a unique take on the trend of cases with a pillar-less front-left corner. This case features a 5-sided body (excluding the top and bottom); with the tempered glasshouse wrapping around three sides, giving you a more panoramic view of the insides. Toward the front of the bottom compartment, is a uniquely positioned 120 mm intake fan that points diagonally. The entire case is positioned at a slight tilt. The upper compartment with the motherboard tray serves up room for graphics cards up to 45 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 18 cm in height. Since there's no vent along the front-panel, the entire clearance of the graphics card is always available. The expansion slots can be rotated 90°, letting you vertically orient graphics cards (riser not included). The motherboard tray includes a graphics card anti-bending mechanism.

Besides the uniquely positioned front-bottom fan, two 140 mm fan vents are positioned along one the front-right diagonal side. Additionally, there is a massive 420 mm x 140 mm vent along the top-panel, letting you mount up to three 140 mm fans (or smaller). A 240 mm x 120 mm radiator can also be mounted along the bottom of the top compartment. The bottom compartment serves up clearance of up to 25 cm for PSUs, and a drive cage with two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays. Two additional 2.5-inch drives can be mounted behind the motherboard tray. The case comes in two variants—the FV270 RGB with five pre-installed RGB fans, and the FV270 base model, with just two included non-illuminated fans. The two each have color-based sub-variants of black and white. The case measures 268 mm x 512 mm x 530 mm (W x D x H). Front-panel connectivity includes two USB 3.2 type-A, and a USB 3.2 type-C (20 Gbps-capable). The company didn't reveal pricing.

Minisforum has unveiled a game-changing device that blurs the lines between tablets and laptops: the Minisforum V3. Today, the V3 laptop has hit the Minisforum store. This innovative 3-in-1 tablet is powered by the high-performance AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, offering a unique blend of portability and computing power. Unlike its traditional Mini PC design, Minisforum has adopted the popular form factor of Microsoft Surface and Lenovo Yoga tablet PCs with the V3. This versatile device can be a handheld tablet, a laptop with an included magnetic attachable keyboard, or a solo kickstand. At the heart of the Minisforum V3 lies the 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 8840U processor, capable of delivering exceptional performance for demanding tasks. The tablet features a stunning 14-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS screen with a 165 Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, making it an ideal choice for creative professionals and content creators.

The V3's standout feature is its advanced cooling system, which allows the Ryzen 7 8840U and onboard Radeon 780M iGPU to operate at a stable 28 watts. This ensures smooth and efficient performance even under heavy workloads, making it a reliable device for all your tasks. The tablet's screen boasts a remarkable 500 nits of brightness, and its high color gamut coverage makes it perfect for professionals who require accurate color representation. Minisforum has priced the V3 competitively at $1199 at the pre-sale offering, making it an attractive option for those seeking a powerful and versatile device that can adapt to various scenarios. This primary option includes 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD for storage. For early birds, Minisforum offers a V Pen, tempered glass screen protector, and laptop sleeve as a gift. Here is the link to the Minisforum V3 store.

NVIDIA's next-gen Blackwell platform, which includes B-series GPUs and integrates NVIDIA's own Grace Arm CPU in models such as the GB200, represents a significant development. TrendForce points out that the GB200 and its predecessor, the GH200, both feature a combined CPU+GPU solution, primarily equipped with the NVIDIA Grace CPU and H200 GPU. However, the GH200 accounted for only approximately 5% of NVIDIA's high-end GPU shipments. The supply chain has high expectations for the GB200, with projections suggesting that its shipments could exceed millions of units by 2025, potentially making up nearly 40 to 50% of NVIDIA's high-end GPU market.

Although NVIDIA plans to launch products such as the GB200 and B100 in the second half of this year, upstream wafer packaging will need to adopt more complex and high-precision CoWoS-L technology, making the validation and testing process time-consuming. Additionally, more time will be required to optimize the B-series for AI server systems in aspects such as network communication and cooling performance. It is anticipated that the GB200 and B100 products will not see significant production volumes until 4Q24 or 1Q25.

Sharkoon Technologies is an international supplier of high-quality, high-performance PC components and peripherals and is now launching the Rebel C20 ITX. Even though this PC case is primarily designed for Mini-ITX mainboards as well as SFX and SFX-L PSUs, the Rebel C20 ITX should also be able to accommodate the largest graphics cards and radiators. In addition, the case can be positioned either vertically or horizontally and is available either as a version without fans or as a version with pre-installed addressable RGB fans for cooling.

Made for High-End Hardware
Despite its dimensions of just 45.7 x 20.8 x 30.1 centimeters, the Rebel C20 ITX should also be able to accommodate the largest modern graphics cards of the RTX 4090 series as well as radiators of up to 360 millimeters.

Intel's next-generation Xeon 6 processors, codenamed Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest, are poised to shake up the CPU market with its cutting-edge architecture and features. Hardware leaker YuuKi_AnS has provided the first glimpse of Intel's upcoming platform, revealing images of the vibrant red-colored validation platform dubbed Beechnut City. Beechnut City serves as a crucial testing ground for the forthcoming Xeon 6 series, which will comprise both the Granite Rapids (P-Core architecture) and Sierra Forest (E-Core architecture) processors. Although not intended for commercial release, this validation platform is designed to rigorously test and validate the new CPUs. The dual-socket LGA-4710 platform boasts the capability to support up to two Sierra Forest or Granite Rapids CPUs simultaneously, promising a significant performance boost for data centers and other high-performance computing applications.

According to YuuKi_AnS's leaks, the Xeon 6 series may feature SKU names such as Xeon 6 6900E/P (Platinum), Xeon 6 6700E/P (Gold), Xeon 6 6500P (Silver), and Xeon 6 6300P (Bronze). One of the platform's standout features is its support for 32 DIMMs in 16-channel memory system, similar to the previously discussed Avenue City platform, which can accommodate up to 24 DDR5-6400 DIMMs in 12-channel memory. The Sierra Forest variant with 144 cores is expected to launch in the first half of this year, while the 288-core variant is slated for release in the second half. Notably, the Xeon 6 series will mark a significant shift in Intel's CPU lineup, as it will be the first CPU series to feature only Efficient cores, akin to AMD's Zen Dense cores (such as Bergamo). This move aligns with Intel's strategy to cater to the growing demand for high-performance computing and data center applications, where energy efficiency and performance are essential.There is also a picture of server configuration of Avenue City was pictured a while ago, thanks to the previous leak of Yuuki_Ans, which can be seen below in addition to Beechnut City platform.

KLEVV today announced the CRAS C925 line of mid-range M.2 NVMe SSDs. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, these drives take advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface, to provide sequential transfer speeds of up to 7400 MB/s reads, and up to 6500 MB/s sequential writes, depending on the model. There are three of these based on capacity—500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. All three offer up to 7400 MB/s sequential reads, while the maximum write speeds are up to 6200 MB/s for the 500 GB model, up to 6300 MB/s for the 1 TB model, and up to 6500 MB/s for the 2 TB model. Both the 500 GB and 1 TB models offer up to 670,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 980,000 IOPS random writes; while the 2 TB model does up to 700,000 IOPS random reads, with up to 1 million IOPS random writes.

The KLEVV CRAS C925 combines a MaxioTech MAP1602 DRAMless controller with an unspecified brand of 3D TLC NAND flash memory. The drive features a single-sided design, in that even the top 2 TB model has all its components on one side of the PCB. You can use the included aluminium heat-spreader that reduces temperatures by 12%, or the heatsink your motherboard includes. KLEVV rates the write endurance of these drives at 600 TBW for the 500 GB model, 1,200 TBW for the 1 TB model, and 2,400 TBW for the 2 TB model. The company is backing the drives with a 5-year warranty. The company didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that the drives will be available from May 2024.

Pimax, a leading innovator in the Virtual Reality industry, announced two new high-end VR headsets at its Frontier 2024 event, held on YouTube this Monday. The Crystal Super is an ultra-high-end headset, packing 29.5 million pixels and the world's first changeable optical engine, allowing users to swap between QLED and micro-OLED panels. The Crystal Light offers the same 16.6 million pixels as the Pimax Crystal, but is much more budget-friendly, starting from 699 USD. Additionally, Pimax unveiled the 60G Airlink module, which leverages WiGig technology to enable true high-fidelity wireless PCVR.

The Crystal Super represents a substantial leap forward from the highly successful Crystal, with its greatly increased number of pixels, enabling a much larger field of view (FOV) and higher pixels per degree (PPD) simultaneously.

Thanks for the detailed information obtained by The Verge, today we confirm previously leaked details as Sony gears up to unveil the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro, codenamed "Trinity." According to insider reports, Sony is urging developers to optimize their games for the PS5 Pro, with a primary focus on enhancing ray tracing capabilities. The console is expected to feature an RDNA 3 GPU with 30 WGP running BVH8, capable of 33.5 TeraFLOPS of FP32 single-precision computing power, and a slightly quicker CPU running at 3.85 GHz, enabling it to render games with ray tracing enabled or achieve higher resolutions and frame rates in select titles. Sony anticipates GPU rendering on the PS5 Pro to be approximately 45 percent faster than the standard PlayStation 5. The PS5 Pro GPU will be larger and utilize faster system memory to bolster ray tracing performance, boasting up to three times the speed of the regular PS5.

Additionally, the console will employ a more powerful ray tracing architecture, backed by PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), allowing developers to leverage graphics features like ray tracing more extensively. To support this endeavor, Sony is providing developers with test kits, and all games submitted for certification from August onward must be compatible with the PS5 Pro. Insider Gaming, the first to report the full PS5 Pro specs, suggests a potential release during the 2024 holiday period. The PS5 Pro will also feature modifications for developers regarding system memory, with Sony increasing the memory bandwidth from 448 GB/s to 576 GB/s, enhancing efficiency for an even more immersive gaming experience. To do AI processing, there is an custom AI accelerator capable of 300 8-bit INT8 TOPS and 67 16-bit FP16 TeraFLOPS, in addition to ACV audio codec running up to 35% faster.

GameSir, a leading brand in gaming peripherals, introduces the GameSir Nova and Nova Lite, two revolutionary multi-platform gaming controllers that redefine the gaming experience. Featuring cutting-edge technology, including anti-drift Hall effect sticks and tri-mode connectivity, these controllers offer unparalleled precision, versatility, and affordability. Embracing the motto "Just In Game", GameSir is dedicated to providing gamers with a superior gaming experience through its exceptionally cost-effective controllers. The GameSir Nova is available for £39.99/$35.99 from Amazon UK, Amazon and the GameSir website, whilst the Nova Lite is available for £29.99/$24.99 from Amazon UK, Amazon and the GameSir website.

The GameSir Nova stands as the epitome of unrestricted gaming experience, seamlessly adapting to the Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Steam and Android devices. This cross-platform adaptability makes it the go-to gaming controller for users seeking a versatile and immersive gaming experience. With anti-drift Hall effect sticks for precision and consistency, the Nova provides unparalleled consistency and smoothness, maximizing gaming performance with specially optimized algorithms. It also includes interactive motion controls to tilt, shake, or rotate the controller for ultimate gaming immersion.

EK, the leading manufacturer of premium liquid cooling gear, is doing a midlife upgrade of its Quantum Vector² graphics card water blocks. In order to ensure readiness with the latest technologies and upgrades for upcoming GPU launches, this midlife refresh will be implemented only on certain Vector² water blocks. The first product to implement these improvements is the new Vector² EVO water block for Radeon RX 7900 XT (Sapphire Nitro+ and Pulse) and Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPUs that come with unique memory cache dies (MCD) next to the main chip - the Graphics Compute Die (GCD). The special cooling engine of the new Vector² EVO water blocks cools the MCDs, aside from the usual GPU components like VRM, VRAM, Voltage Controllers, and the chip die.

For those unhappy with the resolution of most ultrawide displays on the market, Acer's new addition to its Predator line should please most of you, as it has a DUHD resolution which is better known as 7680 x 2160 pixels, aka dual 4K. The Predator Z57 also sports a 2304 zone MiniLED backlight which equals 1152 zones on a standard 4K display. Thanks to the MiniLED backlight, the Predator Z57 also gets a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. However, the 120 Hz VA display panel might not be to everyone's liking, alongside the 1000R curvature.

Other features include support for AMD FreeSync Premium, 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space, an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB Type-C port with 90 W USB-PD support, integrated KVM support, but seemingly no support for DP 2.1. The stand offers height, tilt and swivel adjustments and the display also sports a pair of built in 10 W speakers. Acer hasn't released the full specs of the display, but it retails for US$1,999.99 and can be ordered from Acer in the US now with Europe seemingly following shortly.

At Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, industrial grade storage brand KingSpec (also known as YANSEN) presented its 2.5" SSD specialized for in-vehicle storage solutions. Embedded World serves as a global platform gathering industry-leading enterprises, technologies, and experts. At this exhibition, YANSEN showcased a solution specifically designed for in vehicle, rail transit and surveillance industries. With the rapid growth of electric vehicles and intelligent connected cars, the demand for reliable, high-capacity in-vehicle data storage is soaring. Secure storage solutions are becoming more essential. YANSEN's 2.5" in-vehicle SSD is engineered specifically for challenging transportation applications.

Rail transit operations face challenging conditions, requiring storage hardware capable of enduring wide temperature ranges, vibrations, and humidity. The 2.5" in-vehicle SSD has undergone rigorous testing beyond industry standards, with an operating temperature range of 0°C to 70°C and an MTBF exceeding 2 million hours. The product features conformal coating and underfill dispensing design to ensure data integrity even in extreme environments.

GIGABYTE Technology announces the launch of its highly anticipated XTREME Prestige Limited Edition series, featuring the Z790 AORUS XTREME X ICE Motherboard and the AORUS GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER XTREME ICE 16G Graphics Card. This exclusive release merges top-tier performance with unparalleled design, catering to the discerning tastes of gaming enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The XTREME Prestige Limited Edition sets a new standard in the realm of gaming hardware. It is crafted to perfection, embracing the latest Current White Gaming Builds trend. Each component showcases white iridescence, accented with crystallized titanium textures and adorned with a 99% Au gold serial plaque, embodying luxury and exclusivity. The series not only dazzles with its aesthetic appeal but also promises exceptional gaming and computing performance.

MSI, a leading global server provider, is showcasing its latest GPU servers powered by AMD processors at the 2024 NAB Show, Booth #SL9137 in the Las Vegas Convention Center from April 14-17. These servers are designed to meet the evolving needs of modern creative projects in Media and Entertainment industry. "As AI continues to reshape the Media and Entertainment industry, it brings unprecedented speed and performance to tasks such as animation, visual effects, video editing, and rendering," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of Enterprise Platform Solutions. "MSI's GPU platforms empower content creators to execute every project with efficiency, speed, and uncompromising quality."

The G4101 is a 4U 4GPU server platform, purpose-built to unleash the full potential of creative professionals in the Media and Entertainment industry. It supports a single AMD EPYC 9004 Series processor equipped with a liquid cooling module, along with twelve DDR5 RDIMM slots. Additionally, it features four PCIe 5.0 x16 slots tailored for triple-slot graphic cards with coolers, ensuring increased airflow and sustained performance. With twelve front 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe/SATA drive bays, it offers high-speed and flexible storage options, catering to the diverse needs of AI workloads. The G4101 combines air flow spacing and liquid closed-loop cooling, making it the optimal thermal management solution for even the most demanding tasks.

In yet another clear sign that we could see some action from AMD on the next-gen desktop processor front this Computex, motherboard maker MSI released its first beta UEFI firmware update that packs an AGESA microcode that reportedly supports the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" processors. The "7D74v1D2 beta" firmware update for the MSI MPG B650 Carbon Wi-Fi motherboard encapsulates AGESA ComboPI 1.1.7.0 patch-A, with the description that it supports a "next-gen CPU," a reference to the Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge."

A successor to the Ryzen 7000 Raphael, the Ryzen 9000 Granite Ridge introduces the new "Zen 5" microarchitecture to the desktop platform, with CPU core counts remaining up to 16-core/32-thread. The new microarchitecture is expected to introduce generational increase in IPC, as well as improve performance of certain exotic workloads such as AVX-512. The processors are said to be launching alongside the new AMD 800-series motherboard chipset. If AMD is using Computex as a platform to showcase these processors, it's likely we might see the first of these motherboards as well.

Samsung is preparing to launch its 9th Generation V-NAND (3D NAND flash) memory next month, Korean publication Hankyung reports. The 9th Gen 3D NAND flash memory by Samsung is expected to offer 290 layers, a step-up from the 236-layer 8th Gen V-NAND that the company debuted in 2022. Samsung reportedly achieved the 290-layer vertical stacking density through improvements in its flash layer stacking techniques that relies on increasing the layer counts through more memory holes in the flash layer. The cost here is data density per wafer, but a net gain from the increase in layer counts.

The same source behind the 9th Gen V-NAND story also reports that the company is targeting a rather early 2025 launch for its successor—the 10th Gen V-NAND. This is expected to be a mammoth 430-layer 3D NAND flash, a jump of 140 layers over the 9th Gen (which itself jumped by 54 layers over its predecessor). This would put Samsung back on track along with its competitors, Kioxia, SK Hynix, Micron Technology, and YMTC, as they gun for the ambitious goal of 1000-layer 3D NAND flash by 2030.Many Thanks to TumbleGeorge for the tip.

As we enter the third week of April, things are looking up a bit when it comes to new game releases, at least if you're into RPG or adventure games. The major release this week is a new take on the action RPG genre that comes from a German developer. The rest of this coming week's releases involves episode two of a more humorous take on the zombie apocalypse, a halibut in space, some mildew, Waterworld in all but name and finally an eyeball.

No Rest for the Wicked / This week's major release / Thursday 18 April
From Moon Studios, the award-winning developers of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes No Rest for the Wicked, a visceral, precision Action RPG set to reinvent the genre. The year is 841 - King Harol is dead. As word of his death echoes throughout the kingdom, the crown passes to his arrogant, yet untested son Magnus. Even worse, the Pestilence, an unholy plague not seen for a thousand years, has returned. It sweeps across the land, corrupting everything and everyone it touches. Madrigal Seline, a ruthlessly ambitious figure in the church, sees the Pestilence as a chance to prove herself in the eyes of her god. Steam Link

Over a year ago, EK Water Blocks introduced its first mainstream CPU water block, designed explicitly for delidded Intel CPUs. Since its debut, there has been a significant increase in users opting to delid their CPUs to enhance performance. Building on this trend, EK just recently released the market's first-ever All-In-One CPU cooler tailored for delidded Intel CPUs, a product that has received highly positive feedback and reception. EK, as the market leader in high-performance PC liquid cooling, is committed to constant innovation and bringing the best user experience on the market. They're reaffirming this commitment by announcing several upcoming products designed for direct die cooling. For those unfamiliar with delidding and direct die cooling, we recommend checking out EK's blog post on the topic.

First up is the highly anticipated EK Direct Die solution for Socket AM5 AMD Ryzen CPUs. Countless hours of engineering and testing were invested into these products to ensure consistent performance results and a user-friendly installation process. Unlike other solutions that require modifying an existing cold plate, this water block features a cold plate specifically designed for delidded AM5 Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs. The mounting mechanism differs from the Velocity² Direct Die water block, as it relies on standoffs at the four corners of the water block instead of the cold plate making contact with the die guard. The entire fin structure has been adjusted to direct 100% of the flow over the chiplets themselves, but more details on this topic will be available in the following days when these AMD-specific Direct Die CPU water blocks become available for order.

Baseus Technology is a respected global consumer electronics brand that is excited to announce the launch of the latest and greatest product, the Baseus Spacemate Series 11-Port USB-C Docking Station. This professional, adaptable, and innovative docking station makes streaming, transfers, charging, and so much more a seamless and simple experience.

One-Stop Dock Solution: The Baseus Spacemate Series 11-Port USB-C Docking Station provides a high-grade docking solution with 11 different ports to fit a variety of needs and applications.

According to a recently published help guide, spotted by the X/Twitter user @harukaze5719, NVIDIA has addressed reported stability problems users are experiencing with Intel's latest 13th and 14th generation Raptor Lake Core processors, especially the high-performance overclockable K-series models. In a recent statement, NVIDIA recommended that owners of the affected Intel CPUs consult directly with Intel if they encounter issues such as system instability, video memory errors, game crashes, or failures to launch certain applications. The problems seem particularly prevalent when running demanding workloads like gaming on Unreal Engine 5 titles or during shader compilation tasks that heavily utilize the processor and graphics capabilities. Intel has established a dedicated website to provide support for these CPU instability cases. However, the chipmaker still needs to issue a broad public statement and provide a definitive resolution.

The instability is often attributed to the very high frequencies and performance the K-series Raptor Lake chips are designed to achieve, which are among the fastest processors in Intel's lineup. While some community suggestions like undervolting or downclocking the CPUs may help mitigate issues in the short term, it remains unclear if permanent fixes will require BIOS updates from motherboard manufacturers or game patches.

Update: As the community has pointed out, motherboard makers often run the CPU outside of Intel's default spec, specifically causing overvolting through modifying or removing power limits, which could introduce instabilities into the system. Running the CPU at Intel-defined specification must be assured with a BIOS check to see if the CPU is running at specified targets. Intel programs the voltage curve into the CPU, and when motherboard makers remove any voltage/power limits, the CPU takes freedom in utilizing the available headroom, possibly causing system instability. We advise everyone to check the power limit setting in the BIOS for the health of their own system.

ASUS today announced its participation in the upcoming NAB Show 2024, themed "A Glimpse into Tomorrow's Tech." Visitors to the ASUS booth (C2934, LVCC Central Hall, Exhibition Time: April 14-17, 2024) will have the opportunity to explore the future of content creation with hands-on experiences and demonstrations of groundbreaking innovations. The ASUS showcase will highlight a range of cutting-edge technology ideal for the challenges of XR and virtual production, including the ProArt Display PA32KCX, the world's first 8K Mini LED professional monitor, in addition to AI-powered workstations and color management solutions.

Shooting in 8K gives creators at the cutting-edge of XR and virtual production exceptionally high-resolution footage, affording them wide flexibility in post-production without sacrificing the ability to produce final products in a full 4K resolution. To allow these creators to work with raw 8K footage in full detail, ASUS today announced the ProArt Display PA32KCX, the world's first 8K Mini LED professional monitor. This 32-inch 8K (7680 x 4320) offers an average ΔE value of less than one for world-leading color accuracy, and it covers 97% of the cinema-grade DCI-P3 color gamut for beautifully saturated color reproduction. With its 4096-zone Mini LED backlight capable of 1200 nits peak brightness and industry-leading 1000 nits full-screen sustained brightness, the ProArt Display PA32KCX is an ideal candidate for HDR workflows. It supports multiple HDR metadata formats, including HLG and HDR10, allowing creators to check how content will appear for a wide range of target displays before it is sent off for final delivery.

While everyone has been focused on shipping an AI-enhanced product recently, one tech giant didn't appear to be bothered- Apple. However, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple is readying an overhaul of its Apple Silicon M-series chips to embed AI processing capabilities at the processor level. As the report indicates, Apple is preparing an update for late 2024 and early 2025 with the M4 series of chips, which will reportedly feature AI processing units similar to those found in other commercial chips. There should be three levels of the M4 series, with the entry-level M4 codenamed Donan, the mid-level M4 chip codenamed Brava, and the high-end M4 chip codenamed Hydra.

Sales of Apple Macs peaked in 2022; the following year was a sharp decline, and sales have continued to be flat since. The new AI PCs for Windows-based systems have been generating hype from all major vendors, hoping to introduce AI features to end users. However, Apple wants to be part of the revolution, and the company has already scheduled the World Wide Developer Conference for June 10th. At WWDC this year, Apple is supposed to show a suite of AI-powered solutions to enable better user experience and increase productivity. With M4 chips getting AI enhancement, the WWDC announcements will get extra hardware accelerations. However, we must wait for the exact announcements before making further assumptions.

Welcome to the wasteland, Vault Dwellers. Bethesda's Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 are bringing post-nuclear adventures to the cloud. These highly acclaimed action role-playing games lead 10 new titles joining GeForce NOW this week. Announced as coming to GeForce NOW at CES, Honkai: Star Rail is targeting a release this quarter. Stay tuned for future updates.

Vault Into the Cloud
Adventurers needed, whether for mapping the irradiated wasteland or shaping the fate of humanity. Embark on a journey through ruins of the post-apocalyptic Commonwealth in Fallout 4. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, navigate a world destroyed by nuclear war, make choices to reshape the wasteland and rebuild society one settlement at a time. With a vast, open world, dynamic crafting systems and a gripping storyline, the game offers an immersive single-player experience that challenges dwellers to emerge as beacons of hope for humanity's remnants.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is thrilled to introduce the brand-new Intel Arc A750 OC Graphics card. BIOSTAR proudly presents the Arc A750 OC graphics card, a true game-changer for content creators and professional gamers. It is meticulously designed to cater to a wide range of computing needs, seamlessly accommodating content creation and gaming at every level. The Arc A750 OC graphics card harnesses the cutting-edge Intel Arc graphics technology, offering a unique blend of unmatched performance and innovative features that sets it apart in the competitive market.

With its impressive 28 Xe-Cores and a graphics clock speed of 2200 MHz, the BIOSTAR Arc A750 OC is a powerhouse designed to deliver robust gaming and content creation performance. It comes packed with a substantial 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, operating at a lightning-fast speed of 16 Gbps, and utilizes a 256-bit memory interface for efficient data transfer and processing. With a total board power (TBP) of 225 W, this graphics card is engineered to balance power consumption with high-end performance, making it an exciting option for users looking for a powerful yet efficient GPU solution.

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Alphacool expands the product range and introduces the new ES Quick Release BLH1A PushIn Set. This quick release is optimized for use in server and workstation systems. Characterized by precise manufacturing quality and excellent water flow, it seals with a secure click mechanism. Compared to other quick couplings, this new quick coupling hardly affects the water flow in the cooling loop. The maximum flow rate is virtually maintained. Thanks to the convenient operation, complex systems can be connected quickly and easily. To open the quick connector, the outer ring is pulled back. The seal closes immediately and prevents coolant from escaping.

DFI, the world's leading brand in embedded motherboards and industrial computers, is thrilled to announce two of the world's first Industrial MicroATX motherboards to support Intel Core 12th, 13th, and 14th (Alder Lake-S, Raptor Lake-S and Raptor Lake-S Refresh) Gen Processors. "With support for the latest Intel Core processors and features including dual GPU slots and dual 10GbE ports, RPS310 and ADS310 represent a significant leap forward in innovation for industrial and medical computing, empowering manufacturing and healthcare professionals to achieve new levels of efficiency," said Jarry Chang, General Manager of Products Center at DFI.

RPS310
Featuring dual PCIe x16 Gen 4 GPU slots, addresses key challenges for Factory Automation professionals working in Smart manufacturing field, enabling improved visualized data, complex imagery processing and quality monitoring in automated production lines. RPS310 is also perfect for medical professionals to analyze Medical imaging data with unprecedented image quality and efficiency, improving diagnosis accuracy on MRIs and CT Scanners and X-rays.

At the NAB Show 2024, in Las Vegas, Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) is unveiling an exciting lineup of technologies and new storage solutions designed for today's and tomorrow's complex media and entertainment (M&E) workflows. Western Digital continues to focus on creating what's next with advanced solutions that address a broad range of growing content needs.

The increasing demand for rich and engaging content, with higher resolutions and more frames per second, is generating the need for faster, more flexible high-capacity storage solutions to help streamline workflows and keep up with high-pressure project demands. For every step of the workflow - from capture and transfer to archive - Western Digital is committed to advancing technology to help professionals and creators get work done faster and more efficiently, ultimately saving time and money, so they can focus on their creativity.

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to announce their lineup of products to be shown at the 2024 NAB Show, from April 14-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Lexar products deliver the high-speed performance that professional videographers, filmmakers, and creators demand in their cameras while also accelerating workflows.
Lexar's new Rugged Series includes the ARMOR GOLD SD UHS-II V60 Card. This card offers a max read speed of 280 MB/s and a max write speed of 210 MB/s, features an IP68 rating, and supports seamless 6K video capture. The ARMOR SILVER PRO SD UHS-II V60 Card also clocks in at a max read speed of 280 MB/s and delivers a write speed of 160 MB/s. It is also rated IP68 and supports 6K video as well. In the SSD category, the ARMOR 700 Portable SSD leverages USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 to provide max read/write speeds of 2000 MB/s1 and an IP66 rating lets users know that its design protects against both water and dust and is built to withstand up to 3-meter drops and falls.

Lexar is also excited to announce a new line of products dedicated to improving the professional workflow. The Lexar Professional PRO WORKFLOW is a 6-bay dock designed to maximize efficiency in the studio by allowing professionals to customize a solution with the modules they need. It is compatible with a range of WORKFLOW readers for CFexpress Type B and Type A 4.0 cards, SD and microSD UHS-II cards, and portable SSDs. It adopts Thunderbolt 4 and supports speeds up to 40 Gbps. The Lexar Professional PRO WORKFLOW GO is a portable solution that allows users to back up on location without a laptop. This 2-bay dock is battery-powered and supports speeds up to 10 Gbps.

Intel has decided to discontinue its entire 13th Gen Raptor Lake lineup of overclockable "K-series" CPU SKUs. According to an official product change notice, the company will stop accepting orders for chips like the Core i9-13900KS, Core i9-13900K, Core i9-13900KF, Core i7-13700K, Core i7-13700KF, Core i5-13600K, and Core i5-13600KF after May 24th, 2024. Final shipments to vendors are targeted for June 28th. After those dates, availability of the unlocked Raptor Lake processors will rapidly diminish as the remaining inventory gets sold off, possibly at inflated prices due to shortages. This discontinuation comes just over a year after Raptor Lake's launch in late 2022, which delivered additional performance improvements over the previous Alder Lake generation.

Raptor Lake brought higher clocks, more cache, additional efficiency cores, and enough muscle to compete with AMD's Ryzen 7000 CPUs in many workloads. Interestingly, Intel has not yet discontinued Alder Lake, suggesting those 12th-generation chips may still be available for some time. While the death of the overclockable Raptor Lake K-series CPUs is unfortunate for enthusiasts, there is an upside—it paves the way for Intel's current generation Raptor Lake refresh, 14th generation Core processors, to clear inventory before the next-generation processors arrive. The 15th generation "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 2 series of processors could be teased at the upcoming Computex event in June.

This $39.97 e-learning bundle teaches you how to program in Python, and how to use its web frameworks, libraries, and other tools—less than $4 per course. Interested in becoming a self-taught programmer? You might still benefit from some instruction, and these self-paced e-courses assist you with code examples, security considerations, and real-world projects to help you build websites, apps, and games in Python. It contains 14 courses and 113 hours of content that you can access for life for $39.97 (reg. $196).

Learn Python programming with this $39.97 (reg. $196) e-learning bundle with 14 courses and 113 hours of content. That's less than $4 per course. Beginning April 1st Through April 7th.

Corsair today announced it is entering the DDR5 Workstation market with the introduction of a range of WS DDR5 RDIMM memory kits. Engineered to offer uncompromising performance and reliability, these ECC RDIMM kits redefine the capabilities of the newest workstations, and are compatible with the latest 4th Gen Intel Xeon and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 processors.

This new range of memory kits boasts capacities of up to 256 GB, setting a new standard for memory-intensive tasks such as high-resolution media editing, 3D rendering, and AI training. Rigorously tested and carefully screened, these modules surpass JEDEC specifications with tighter timings and higher frequencies, ensuring optimal performance for the most demanding workloads.

Elgato, a brand of Corsair, today announced a limited-edition hardware line in collaboration with the award-winning publisher, Bethesda Softworks. The drop features four products—including a custom Stream Deck and dynamic mic—celebrating one of gaming's most beloved franchises, Fallout. It's now the second time Elgato and Bethesda have teamed up, following the release of Starfield in September 2023.

For Bethesda fans, the partnership is a chance to bring home an original Vault-Tec collectible, coinciding with the Fallout TV series debut on Prime Video. It marks a milestone for Elgato too, as the first time they've developed a custom dynamic mic (Wave DX), audio interface (Wave XLR), or boom arm (Wave Mic Arm LP). In addition to hardware, Elgato revealed a suite of digital assets, including a Pip-Boy-inspired voice modifier—offering creators new ways to express themselves online.

GAMDIAS Technology announced the launch of the powerful HELIOS P1A 80 Plus Gold power supply units that provide efficient power consistently. The HELIOS P1A Series PSUs are available in 650 W, 750 W and 850 W. Importantly, the 850 W unit comes with fully modular edition to fulfill demands. Every power supply unit delivers 90% efficiency and is equipped with a hydraulic bearing smart fan that can adjust the fan speed automatically.

The HELIOS P1A Series power supply units are certified with 80 Plus Gold that guarantees stable power output at up to 90% efficiency and reduces energy consumption. The DC to DC structure with full bridge LLC resonance assist and 12 V synchronous rectification helps improve performance, stability and safety in operation. The power features automatic fan speed optimization, which allows the fan speed to be adjusted according to the detection of temperature and load. Furthermore, the 120 mm hydraulic bearing fan ensures stable operation and longer lifespan.

Meta has announced the next generation of its Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) chip, which is designed to train and infer AI models at scale. The newest MTIA chip is a second-generation design of Meta's custom silicon for AI, and it is being built on TSMC's 5 nm technology. Running at the frequency of 1.35 GHz, the new chip is getting a boost to 90 Watts of TDP per package compared to just 25 Watts for the first-generation design. Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms (BLAS) processing is where the chip shines, and it includes matrix multiplication and vector/SIMD processing. At GEMM matrix processing, each chip can process 708 TeraFLOPS at INT8 (presumably meant FP8 in the spec) with sparsity, 354 TeraFLOPS without, 354 TeraFLOPS at FP16/BF16 with sparsity, and 177 TeraFLOPS without.

Classical vector and processing is a bit slower at 11.06 TeraFLOPS at INT8 (FP8), 5.53 TeraFLOPS at FP16/BF16, and 2.76 TFLOPS single-precision FP32. The MTIA chip is specifically designed to run AI training and inference on Meta's PyTorch AI framework, with an open-source Triton backend that produces compiler code for optimal performance. Meta uses this for all its Llama models, and with Llama3 just around the corner, it could be trained on these chips. To package it into a system, Meta puts two of these chips onto a board and pairs them with 128 GB of LPDDR5 memory. The board is connected via PCIe Gen 5 to a system where 12 boards are stacked densely. This process is repeated six times in a single rack for 72 boards and 144 chips in a single rack for a total of 101.95 PetaFLOPS, assuming linear scaling at INT8 (FP8) precision. Of course, linear scaling is not quite possible in scale-out systems, which could bring it down to under 100 PetaFLOPS per rack.Below, you can see images of the chip floorplan, specifications compared to the prior version, as well as the system.

MSI is announcing today the latest series of fan products, the cableless fan MPG EZ120 ARGB, which features a magnetic design and reduces the effort and complexity of PC assembly. The use of MSI exclusive JAF 7-pin header, which has integrated ARGB and system fan headers, benefits the exertion of cable management. There are 33 LEDs well-arranged on the fan blade and frame; it is the best choice to decorate a panoramic-style chassis.

The MPG EZ120 ARGB takes convenience to the next level. With its Magnetic Connector Blocks, connecting your fans is easier than ever. These blocks deliver power and signal and enhance the connection between the fans. Each fan frame is also embedded with magnets, making the assembly process a breeze.

V-COLOR Technology Inc. unveiled its latest breakthrough in memory technology, the Manta XFinity series, now boasting speeds of up to DDR5-8600 with XMP profile. This series is already gaining recognition in the overclocking community by securing the 3rd spot on the Memory Frequency ranking in HWBOT, and is ready to create even larger impacts with its enhanced overclocking capabilities. Tested on the new ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790I Lightning Wi-Fi, and PHANTOM GAMING B760I Lightning Wi-Fi with Intel Core 14th Gen CPUs, this advancement ensures unmatched performance and reliability for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

FSP Group, the world's leading high-performance ODM, modified STD power supply and PC component manufacturer today, is excited to unveil the all-new VITA GM PSU lineup designed to power the future generation of personal computing. The VITA GM (Gold efficiency & modular cable) PSU series embodies the pinnacle of advanced power delivery technology and durability, specifically designed for the demands of future-proof computing. Available in a range of power options from 650 W to 1000 W, each unit in the series guarantees exceptional efficiency and flexibility. With an 80 Plus Gold certification. This sleek new PSU lineup boasts fresh, clean design elements and high-quality materials. It is available in two classic color options - elegant black and pristine white for user preference.

Adhering to the latest technical standards, VITA GM PSU series from FSP Group is engineered to meet and exceed modern computing requirements. VITA GM series power supplies deliver the Intel recommended 17 ms @ 80% load hold-up time compared to the standard 12 ms @ 100%, ensuring stable flow of power and safety against sudden power outages, inrush current, and critical power surges. The series boasts an impressive efficiency rate of over 90% at typical loads, a testament to its superior design and engineering. FSP's commitment to reliability and longevity is evident in the use of 105°C Japanese bulk capacitors, renowned for their quality and durability. The VITA GM series also features a 120 mm hydraulic bearing (HYB) fan, providing optimal cooling while maintaining low noise levels. These PSU units stand out with their notably compact dimensions of 140 x 150 x 86 mm, making them an ideal choice for space-limited setups. Yet, it does not compromise on delivering robust performance.

Team Group Inc., the global leading provider of premium storage solutions, is dedicated to the evolving needs of content creators. Team Group, today unveils the T-CREATE EXPERT R31 3-in-1 Card Reader, specifically crafted for the diverse file transfer needs for post-production efficiency, offering enhanced portability and versatility. This innovative solution empowers content creators and photographers to access and edit materials on the go with ease, ensuring an uninterrupted creative workflow. With its exceptional efficiency in instant transmission and editing, the EXPERT R31 offers creators a more simplified workflow, unparalleled convenience, and enhanced productivity.

The T-CREATE EXPERT R31 3-in-1 Card Reader utilizes a Type-C interface with USB 3.2 Gen2x2 specifications, delivering blazing-fast read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. The EXPERT R31 guarantees an exceptionally smooth data transfer experience, enabling the transfer of 10 GB files in less than 20 seconds. The significant difference in reduced data transfer time allows users to focus on the creative aspect of their work. Equipped with MicroSD, SD, and CFexpress Type B card slots, the EXPERT R31 supports various card types and UHS-II, UHS-I, and CFexpress 2.0 speed specifications. In addition, the Type-C interface is compatible with Thunderbolt and a wide range of devices, providing plug-and-play connectivity across multiple platforms. Designed with portability in mind, the compact solution measures just 8.5 cm, making it the perfect pocket-size for breezy portability. Its ultra-lightweight design allows users effortless access to their creative content wherever inspiration strikes.

The RDNA 3+ graphics architecture will power integrated graphics solutions of AMD processors for the foreseeable future, a reliable source with AMD leaks says. The company is planning to debut RDNA 3+, a feature update to RDNA 3, with the upcoming Ryzen "Strix Point" mobile processor. A scaled-up version will power the "Strix Halo" processor meant for notebooks with powerful integrated graphics. Given that AMD is able to scale between a certain number of compute units for its "Strix Point" and "Strix Halo" processors, it could stick with the graphics architecture for iGPUs with its upcoming processor microarchitectures even 3 years into the future.

This isn't new for AMD, the company's Vega graphics architecture debuted in 2017, but powered the iGPUs of its "Cezanne" mobile processor that came out as recently as 2021. The RDNA 3-based iGPU powering the current "Hawk Point" processor trades blows with the Arc "Alchemist" Xe-LPG iGPU powering Intel's "Meteor Lake" processor. Intel is expected to make a generational jump in iGPU performance with its upcoming "Lunar Lake" processor that debuts the Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics architecture for its iGPU, to which AMD is responding with a new iGPU based on the updated RDNA 3+.

Montage Technology, a leading data processing and interconnect IC company, today announced that it has taken the lead in the trial production of 1st-generation DDR5 Clock Driver (CKD) chips for next-generation client memory. This new product aims to enhance the speed and stability of memory data access to match the ever-increasing CPU operating speed and performance.

Previously, clock driver functionality was integrated into the Registering Clock Driver (RCD) chips used on server RDIMM or LRDIMM modules, not deployed to the PCs. In the DDR5 era, as data rates climb 6400 MT/s and above, the clock driver has emerged as an indispensable component for client memory.

The GEEKOM XT12 Pro, a new mini PC that rocks an incredible Intel Core i9-12900H processor, is now available for pre-orders! The unit with 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and licensed Windows 11 Pro is priced at only $699, making the XT12 Pro arguably the best-bang-for-the-buck i9 powered mini PC ever.

The GEEKOM XT12 Pro employs a uni-body aluminium chassis that measures 117 x 111 x 38.5 mm (0.5 liter). The anodized matte finish gives the mini PC a refreshingly gorgeous look, and the minimalist design makes it DIY customization easy. As small as it is, the XT12 Pro still packs a wide array of I/O, including two full-function 40 Gbps USB4, four USB-A, two HDMI 2.0, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is proud to launch the Torque series compression fittings 6-pack in a luxurious gold finish, available for both STC (Soft Tube Compression) and HDC (Hard Tube Compression). Recognizing the popularity and demand for these fittings, previously available only as single pieces, EK now offers them in convenient six-piece multipacks.

The fitting barb and the compression rings are first nickel-plated, followed by a second plating with genuine gold. Both are made of CNC-machined brass, and the seal is made of quality rubber O-rings. This addition enriches the Torque series, allowing the gold finish to complement the existing Nickel, Black, and Satin Titanium variants in six-pack offerings, providing a luxurious and comprehensive option for custom liquid cooling systems.

The industrial grade A380E graphics card features an exceptional cost/performance ratio, high reliability and low power consumption (50 W). As with all ADLINK industrial products, it delivers on longevity with availability guaranteed for a minimum of five years. In addition, the A380E graphics card is slim and compact with a single slot design, measuring only 69 mm x 156 mm.

Flexible application
Although the core market is likely to be commercial gaming, the A380E graphics card is also suited to industrial Edge AI applications such as Industrial IoT and retail analytics. Video wall graphics and media processing and delivery are examples of the many other potential uses.

Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is thrilled to release the TH V2 Ultra EX ARGB Sync All-In-One Liquid Cooler series. Inheriting the key features of Thermaltake's strong products, the latest TH V2 Ultra EX ARGB Sync series provides a budget-friendly AIO option featuring the innovative MagForce 2.0 Design and a highly customizable LCD display. This powerful cooling solution introduces a higher level of convenience and aesthetic appeal beyond your expectations!

This new series includes the TH240/360 V2 Ultra EX ARGB Sync using the 120 mm CT EX ARGB Sync Fans and the TH280/420 V2 Ultra EX ARGB Sync using the 140 mm CT EX ARGB Sync Fans. The fans are upgraded with MagForce 2.0 Design where the Pogo pin contact pads are two times larger than previously, enabling quicker and more stable magnetic connection, effortlessly achieving better cable management.

ASUS IoT, the global AIoT solution provider, today announced PE8000G at Embedded World 2024, a powerful edge AI computer that supports multiple GPU cards for high performance—and is expertly engineered to handle rugged conditions with resistance to extreme temperatures, vibration and variable voltage. PE8000G is powered by formidable Intel Core processors (13th and 12th gen) and the Intel R680E chipset to deliver high-octane processing power and efficiency.

With its advanced architecture, PE8000G excels at running multiple neural network modules simultaneously in real-time—and represents a significant leap forward in edge AI computing. With its robust design, exceptional performance and wide range of features, PE8000G series is poised to revolutionize AI-driven applications across multiple industries, elevating edge AI computing to new heights and enabling organizations to tackle mission-critical tasks with confidence and to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity and innovation.

After two years of decline, the worldwide traditional PC market returned to growth during the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24) with 59.8 million shipments, growing 1.5% year over year, according to preliminary results from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. Growth was largely achieved due to easy year-over-year comparisons as the market declined 28.7% during the first quarter of 2023, which was the lowest point in PC history. In addition, global PC shipments finally returned to pre-pandemic levels as 1Q24 volumes rivaled those seen in 1Q19 when 60.5 million units were shipped.

With inflation numbers trending down, PC shipments have begun to recover in most regions, leading to growth in the Americas as well as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). However, the deflationary pressures in China directly impacted the global PC market. As the largest consumer of desktop PCs, weak demand in China led to yet another quarter of declines for global desktop shipments, which already faced pressure from notebooks as the preferred form factor.

According to the latest report from ComputerBase, Intel had a strong presence at the recently concluded Embedded World 2024 conference. The company officially showcased its Arc series of GPUs for the embedded market, based on the existing Alchemist chips rebranded as the "E series." However, industry whispers hint at a more significant development—the impending launch of Intel's second-generation Arc Xe² GPUs, codenamed "Battlemage," potentially before the lucrative Black Friday shopping season. While Alchemist serves as Intel's current offering for embedded applications, many companies in attendance expressed keen interest in Battlemage, the successor to Alchemist. These firms often cover a broad spectrum, from servers and desktops to notebooks and embedded systems, necessitating a hardware platform that caters to this diverse range of applications.

Officially, Intel had previously stated that Battlemage would "hopefully" arrive before CES 2025, implying a 2024 launch. However, rumors from the trade show floor suggest a more ambitious target—a release before Black Friday, which falls on November 29th this year. This timeline aligns with Intel's historical launch patterns, as the original Arc A380 and notebook GPUs debuted in early October 2022, albeit with a staggered and limited rollout. Intel's struggles with the Alchemist launch serve as a learning experience for the company. Early promises and performance claims for the first-generation Arc GPUs failed to materialize, leading to a stuttering market introduction. This time, Intel has adopted a more reserved approach, avoiding premature and grandiose proclamations about Battlemage's capabilities.

Intel is collaborating with Ubisoft to bundle Star Wars Outlaws with select 14th Gen Core processors—this would include desktop 14th Gen Core processors in retail, pre-built desktops powered by these processors; as well as notebooks powered by 14th Gen Core HX-series mobile processors. The bundle offer is open now, in select markets, and through participating retailers, and will be open till July 31, 2024. Game redemption codes issued with purchases in this time frame, can be redeemed until September 15. The game itself is releasing on August 30, and so redemptions done before the release date will be treated like pre-orders by Ubisoft, you'll be eligible to play from the release date.

Qualifying Intel 14th Gen Core processor models include: Intel Core i5-14400, Intel Core i5-14400F, Intel Core i5-14450HX, Intel Core i5-14500, Intel Core i5-14500HX, Intel Core i5-14600, Intel Core i5-14600K, Intel Core i5-14600KF, Intel Core i7-14650HX, Intel Core i7-14700, Intel Core i7-14700F, Intel Core i7-14700HX, Intel Core i7-14700K, Intel Core i7-14700KF, Intel Core i9-14900, Intel Core i9-14900F, Intel Core i9-14900HX, Intel Core i9-14900K, Intel Core i9-14900KF, and Intel Core i9-14900KS.You can catch the trailer of Star Wars Outlaws after the break.

Following in the wake of an earthquake that struck on April 3rd, TrendForce undertook an in-depth analysis of its effects on the DRAM industry, uncovering a sector that has shown remarkable resilience and faced minimal interruptions. Despite some damage and the necessity for inspections or disposal of wafers among suppliers, the facilities' strong earthquake preparedness of the facilities has kept the overall impact to a minimum.

Leading DRAM producers, including Micron, Nanya, PSMC, and Winbond had all returned to full operational status by April 8th. In particular, Micron's progression to cutting-edge processes—specifically the 1alpha and 1beta nm technologies—is anticipated to significantly alter the landscape of DRAM bit production. In contrast, other Taiwanese DRAM manufacturers are still working with 38 and 25 nm processes, contributing less to total output. TrendForce estimates that the earthquake's effect on DRAM production for the second quarter will be limited to a manageable 1%.

Google has officially joined the club of custom Arm-based, in-house-developed CPUs. As of today, Google's in-house semiconductor development team has launched the "Axion" CPU based on Arm instruction set architecture. Using the Arm Neoverse V2 cores, Google claims that the Axion CPU outperforms general-purpose Arm chips by 30% and Intel's processors by a staggering 50% in terms of performance. This custom silicon will fuel various Google Cloud offerings, including Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, Dataproc, Dataflow, and Cloud Batch. The Axion CPU, designed from the ground up, will initially support Google's AI-driven services like YouTube ads and Google Earth Engine. According to Mark Lohmeyer, Google Cloud's VP and GM of compute and machine learning infrastructure, Axion will soon be available to cloud customers, enabling them to leverage its performance without overhauling their existing applications.

Google's foray into custom silicon aligns with the strategies of its cloud rivals, Microsoft and Amazon. Microsoft recently unveiled its own AI chip for training large language models and an Arm-based CPU called Cobalt 100 for cloud and AI workloads. Amazon, on the other hand, has been offering Arm-based servers through its custom Graviton CPUs for several years. While Google won't sell these chips directly to customers, it plans to make them available through its cloud services, enabling businesses to rent and leverage their capabilities. As Amin Vahdat, the executive overseeing Google's in-house chip operations, stated, "Becoming a great hardware company is very different from becoming a great cloud company or a great organizer of the world's information."

Intel at its VISION conference, confirmed that its next-generation processor for the ultraportable and thin-and-light segments, the Core Ultra "Lunar Lake," will feature an over four-fold increase in NPU performance, which will be as fast as 45 TOPS. This is a significant figure, as Microsoft recently announcedthat Copilot will perform several tasks locally (on the device), provided it has an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS. The current AI Boost NPU found in Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" processor is no faster than 10 TOPS, and the current AMD Ryzen 8040 series features a Ryzen AI NPU with 16 TOPS on tap. AMD's upcoming Ryzen "Strix Point" processor is rumored to feature a similar 40 TOPS-class NPU performance as "Lunar Lake."

Intel also confirmed that notebooks powered by Core Ultra "Lunar Lake" processors will hit the shelves by Christmas 2024 (December). These notebooks will feature not just the 45 TOPS NPU, but also debut Intel's Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics architecture as the processor's integrated graphics solution. With Microsoft's serious push for standardizing AI assistants, the new crop of notebooks could also feature Copilot as a fixed-function button on their keyboards, similar to the Win key that brings up the Start menu.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers and the #1 PC Gaming Headset Brand in the US, today announced the expansion of its most celebrated esports headset line to the console realm with the introduction of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro for PlayStation and Razer BlackShark V2 Pro for Xbox. Building upon the legendary reputation of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro for PC, these re-engineered console editions are tailored to meet the demands of PlayStation and Xbox esports, offering unparalleled audio precision, vocal clarity, marathon-ready battery life, and enduring comfort.

"The BlackShark headset is an icon among esports pros and hardcore gamers for a reason," said Nick Bourne, Head of Razer's Console, Mobile& Streaming Division. "Leveraging our position as the top gaming headset brand, we tuned these headsets for Xbox and PlayStation, working closely with pro gamers to refine the fundamentals of an esports class headset while introducing upgrades that we know highly competitive gamers are seeking."

EK, the leading Europe-based premium liquid-cooling gear manufacturer, is releasing a stand-alone VTX pump, perfect for compact loop environments. These VTX pumps, which are already featured in pump-reservoir combos, boast a DDC-compatible mount, remarkable head pressure, and efficient flow rates in a small footprint - making it ideal for smaller cases. The pumps can be used with all reservoirs and distribution plates compatible with DDC pumps, providing an alternative option.

EK-LOOP VTX PWM MOTOR
For its small footprint, the VTX pump offers great hydraulic characteristics with flow rates of up to 1100L/h and a maximum head pressure of 5.3 m. The VTX is not equipped with a heatsink since its efficient pump motor doesn't require additional external cooling. That is one of its advantages over the DDC variants.

Micron Technology, Inc., today announced it is sampling the automotive-grade Micron 4150AT SSD, the world's first quad-port SSD, capable of interfacing with up to four systems on chips (SoCs) to centralize storage for software-defined intelligent vehicles. The Micron 4150AT SSD combines market-leading features such as single-root input/output virtualization (SR-IOV), a PCIe Generation 4 interface and ruggedized automotive design. With these features, the automotive-grade SSD provides the ecosystem with data center-level flexibility and power.

"As storage requirements race to keep up with rich in-vehicle experiences featuring AI and advanced algorithms for higher levels of autonomous safety, this era demands a new paradigm for automotive storage to match," said Michael Basca, Micron vice president of embedded products and systems. "Building on our collaboration with the innovators redefining next-generation automotive architectures, Micron has reimagined storage from the ground up to deliver the world's first quad-port SSD - the Micron 4150AT - which provides the industry flexibility and horsepower to roll out the transformative technologies on the horizon."

On March 28, 2024, in Shanghai, the cutting-edge tech brand TRYX launched an array of innovative products at an event revolving around the theme of "New Species." Unlike traditional tech launches, TRYX captivated attendees with an intriguing exploration of "Future Archaeology," unravelling the mysteries of technological evolution and introducing a new era of PC components, headlined by the PANORAMA AIO cooler, ROTA fans, and LUCA chassis.

At this transformative event, TRYX showcased its commitment to pioneering technology by showcasing products that redefine the boundaries of innovation. Among the standout releases was the PANORAMA liquid cooler, the first in the world to feature an L-shaped screen, developed in collaboration with cooling solution experts at Asetek. This partnership has allowed TRYX to integrate the exclusive 8th-generation water pump solution from Asetek, signaling the brand's ascent to the top of the tech industry.

During the Vision 2024 event, Intel announced that its upcoming Xeon processors will be branded under the new "Xeon 6" moniker. This rebranding effort aims to simplify the company's product stack and align with the recent changes made to its consumer CPU naming scheme. In contrast to the previous "x Generation Xeon Scalable", the new branding aims to simplify the product family. The highly anticipated Sierra Forest and Granite Ridge chips will be the first processors to bear the Xeon 6 branding, and they are set to launch in the coming months. Intel has confirmed that Sierra Forest, designed entirely with efficiency cores (E-cores), remains on track for release this quarter. Supermicro has already announced early availability and remote testing programs for these chips. Intel's Sierra Forest is set to deliver a substantial leap in performance. According to the company, it will offer a 2.4X improvement in performance per watt and a staggering 2.7X better performance per rack compared to the previous generation. This means that 72 Sierra Forest server racks will provide the same performance as 200 racks equipped with older second-gen Xeon CPUs, leading to significant power savings and a boost in overall efficiency for data centers upgrading their system.

Intel has also teased an exciting feature in its forthcoming Granite Ridge processors-support for the MXFP4 data format. This new precision format, backed by the Open Compute Project (OCP) and major industry players like NVIDIA, AMD, and Arm, promises to revolutionize performance. It could reduce next-token latency by up to 6.5X compared to fourth-gen Xeons using FP16. Additionally, Intel stated that Granite Ridge will be capable of running 70 billion parameter Llama-2 models, a capability that could open up new possibilities in data processing. Intel claims that 70 billion 4-bit models run entirely on Xeon in just 86 milliseconds. While Sierra Forest is slated for this quarter, Intel has not provided a specific launch timeline for Granite Ridge, stating only that it will arrive "soon after" its E-core counterpart. The Xeon 6 branding aims to simplify the product stack and clarify customer performance tiers as the company gears up for these major releases.

Available now, the Sennheiser brand today launches their all-new MOMENTUM Sport earbuds. Developed for athletes and sports enthusiasts, they combine state-of-the-art integrated sensors with unrivalled sound quality to elevate its users to new performance heights.

"We have worked for over three years to develop the ultimate sports earbuds. MOMENTUM Sport elevates earbuds from a basic exercise accessory to the heartbeat of your workout—quite literally," says David Holm, Sennheiser Sports Product Manager, "Now, athletes and sports enthusiasts can tap into cutting-edge fitness tech and superb sound in one device."

During the Vision 2024 event, Intel announced its latest Gaudi 3 AI accelerator, promising significant improvements over its predecessor. Intel claims the Gaudi 3 offers up to 70% improvement in training performance, 50% better inference, and 40% better efficiency than Nvidia's H100 processors. The new AI accelerator is presented as a PCIe Gen 5 dual-slot add-in card with a 600 W TDP or an OAM module with 900 W. The PCIe card has the same peak 1,835 TeraFLOPS of FP8 performance as the OAM module despite a 300 W lower TDP. The PCIe version works as a group of four per system, while the OAM HL-325L modules can be run in an eight-accelerator configuration per server. This likely will result in a lower sustained performance, given the lower TDP, but it confirms that the same silicon is used, just finetuned with a lower frequency. Built on TSMC's N5 5 nm node, the AI accelerator features 64 Tensor Cores, delivering double the FP8 and quadruple FP16 performance over the previous generation Gaudi 2.

The Gaudi 3 AI chip comes with 128 GB of HBM2E with 3.7 TB/s of bandwidth and 24 200 Gbps Ethernet NICs, with dual 400 Gbps NICs used for scale-out. All of that is laid out on 10 tiles that make up the Gaudi 3 accelerator, which you can see pictured below. There is 96 MB of SRAM split between two compute tiles, which acts as a low-level cache that bridges data communication between Tensor Cores and HBM memory. Intel also announced support for the new performance-boosting standardized MXFP4 data format and is developing an AI NIC ASIC for Ultra Ethernet Consortium-compliant networking. The Gaudi 3 supports clusters of up to 8192 cards, coming from 1024 nodes comprised of systems with eight accelerators. It is on track for volume production in Q3, offering a cost-effective alternative to NVIDIA accelerators with the additional promise of a more open ecosystem. More information and a deeper dive can be found in the Gaudi 3 Whitepaper.

At the Intel Vision 2024 customer and partner conference, Intel introduced the Intel Gaudi 3 accelerator to bring performance, openness and choice to enterprise generative AI (GenAI), and unveiled a suite of new open scalable systems, next-gen products and strategic collaborations to accelerate GenAI adoption. With only 10% of enterprises successfully moving GenAI projects into production last year, Intel's latest offerings address the challenges businesses face in scaling AI initiatives.

"Innovation is advancing at an unprecedented pace, all enabled by silicon - and every company is quickly becoming an AI company," said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. "Intel is bringing AI everywhere across the enterprise, from the PC to the data center to the edge. Our latest Gaudi, Xeon and Core Ultra platforms are delivering a cohesive set of flexible solutions tailored to meet the changing needs of our customers and partners and capitalize on the immense opportunities ahead."

Acer unveiled the latest addition to its gaming line with the new Predator Helios Neo 14, a portable powerhouse equipped with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, unlocking AI experiences on the PC. In addition, the Acer Nitro 16 gaming laptop has been refreshed with Intel Core 14th gen processors, allowing users to do more when gaming or creating. Players of all levels will be amazed by the pristine visuals and AI-driven graphics shown when gaming or streaming thanks to the devices' NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40[1] Series Laptop GPUs, which support the latest AI-powered DLSS 3.5 technology and other AI accelerations across creative applications. Brilliant colors and pixels stand out on the laptops' WQXGA display options, combined with 100% support for sRGB color gamut and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility.

To further complement creativity and capabilities on the gaming laptops, these feature Microsoft Copilot in Windows (with a dedicated Copilot key), providing faster access to the everyday AI assistant and Acer's suite of AI-enhanced videoconferencing features. With one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included in every device, players can enjoy hundreds of high-quality PC games. Plus, dual fans, exhaust cooling systems, and liquid metal thermal on the CPUs ensure the gaming laptops' interiors run on full speed even in the most heated gaming sessions.

Acer today announced the new Nitro 14 and Nitro 16 gaming laptops, powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI[1]. With up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060[2] Laptop GPUs supported by DLSS 3.5 technology, both are backed by NVIDIA's RTX AI platform, providing an array of capabilities in over 500 games and applications, enhanced by AI. Gamers are immersed in their 14- and 16-inch NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible panels with up to WQXGA (2560x1600) resolution.

Whether in call or streaming in-game, Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0 harnesses the power of AI to block out external noises, while Acer PurifiedView keeps users always front and center of all the action. Microsoft Copilot in Windows (with a dedicated Copilot key) helps accelerate everyday tasks on these AI laptops, and with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included with every device, players will enjoy hundreds of high-quality PC games. To seamlessly take command of device performance and customizations, one click of the NitroSense key directs users to the control center and the library of available AI-related functions through the new Experience Zone.

According to the latest report from Bloomberg, the US government under Joe Biden's administration has announced plans to provide Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) with a substantial financial support package worth $11.6 billion. The package is composed of $6.6 billion in grants and up to $5 billion in loans. This represents the most significant financial assistance approved under the CHIPS and Science Act, a key initiative to resurrect the US chip industry. The funding will aid TSMC in establishing three cutting-edge semiconductor production facilities in Arizona, with the company's total investment in the state expected to exceed an impressive $65 billion. TSMC's multi-phase Arizona project will commence with the construction of a fab module near its existing Fab 21 facility. Production using 4 nm and 5 nm process nodes is slated to begin by early 2025. The second phase, scheduled for 2028, will focus on even more advanced 2 nm and 3 nm technologies.

TSMC has kept details about the third facility's production timeline and process node under wraps. The company's massive investment in Arizona is expected to profoundly impact the local economy, creating 6,000 high-tech manufacturing jobs and over 20,000 construction positions. Moreover, $50 million has been earmarked for training local workers, which aligns with President Joe Biden's goal of bolstering domestic manufacturing and technological independence. However, TSMC's Arizona projects have encountered obstacles, including labor disputes and uncertainties regarding government support, resulting in delays for the second facility's production timeline. Additionally, reports suggest that at least one TSMC supplier has abandoned plans to set up operations in Arizona due to workforce-related challenges.

AMD today announced the expansion of the AMD Versal adaptive system on chip (SoC) portfolio with the new Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 and Versal Prime Series Gen 2 adaptive SoCs, which bring preprocessing, AI inference, and postprocessing together in a single device for end-to-end acceleration of AI-driven embedded systems.

These initial devices in the Versal Series Gen 2 portfolio build on the first generation with powerful new AI Engines expected to deliver up to 3x higher TOPs-per-watt than first generation Versal AI Edge Series devicesi, while new high-performance integrated Arm CPUs are expected to offer up to 10x more scalar compute than first gen Versal AI Edge and Prime series devicesii.

Today, Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, announced the Logitech G PRO X 60 LIGHTSPEED Gaming Keyboard, a compact, professional-grade keyboard that liberates valuable space to meet the evolving needs of pro-gamers.

Pro esports athletes demand the absolute best equipment to improve their competitive play. The 60 percent keyboard form factor has become increasingly popular among pros because it leaves more space for the dynamic mouse movements required for pro-level FPS competition. A 60 percent keyboard is easier to position perfectly for maximum performance, easily fitting into their competition space, and it's also easier for players to carry to and from tournaments.

On March 29th, the United States announced another round of updates to its export controls, targeting advanced computing, supercomputers, semiconductor end-uses, and semiconductor manufacturing products. These new regulations, which took effect on April 4th, are designed to prevent certain countries and businesses from circumventing U.S. restrictions to access sensitive chip technologies and equipment. Despite these tighter controls, TrendForce believes the practical impact on the industry will be minimal.

The latest updates aim to refine the language and parameters of previous regulations, tightening the criteria for exports to Macau and D:5 countries (China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, etc.). They require a detailed examination of all technology products' Total Processing Performance (TPP) and Performance Density (PD). If a product exceeds certain computing power thresholds, it must undergo a case-by-case review. Nevertheless, a new provision, Advanced Computing Authorized (ACA), allows for specific exports and re-exports among selected countries, including the transshipment of particular products between Macau and D:5 countries.

EK, the renowned leader in computer cooling technology, is introducing the EK-Nucleus AIO Replacement Cover - Creator Kit, an optional replacement pump unit top for the EK Nucleus series AIO coolers that allows users to 3D print over the base and build their own unique AIO aesthetic. It replaces the stock top cover of the award-winning Nucleus AIOs available in 240 and 360 mm sizes, both of which come in black and white finishes.

In the Creator Kit box, users get a 3D-printed light guide with magnets, which is used as a platform for their 3D-printed creations. It is meant as a light diffuser, and the user gets to pick where it shines through by building specially designed extrudes of the 3D print. EK prepared a 3D model of the pump unit and a printed base, which can be remodeled and customized.

Today at Embedded World, Intel and Altera, an Intel Company, announced new edge-optimized processors, FPGAs and programmable market-ready solutions extending powerful AI capabilities into edge computing. These products will power AI-enabled edge devices applicable to industries across retail, healthcare, industrial, automotive, defense and aerospace.

"This next generation of Intel edge-optimized processors and discrete GPUs unleashes powerful AI capabilities to help businesses more seamlessly incorporate AI alongside compute, media and graphics workloads. From manufacturing to healthcare, Intel's extensive edge AI experience and breadth and depth of edge-ready silicon and software help our customers deliver AI where they need it most for better business outcomes," said Dan Rodriguez, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of Network and Edge Solutions Group.

Advantech (2395.TW), a global leader in intelligent IoT systems and embedded platforms, is excited to announce the EAI-3101, a brand-new industrial PCIe GPU card powered by the Intel Arc A380E, built for 5-year longevity. Featuring 128 Intel Xe matrix AI engines, this GPU card delivers outstanding AI computing power of 5.018 TFLOPS, surpassing the capabilities of the NVIDIA T1000, 2 times over. With ray tracing technology and Intel XeSS AI-upscaling, the EAI-3101 supports up to 8K UHD resolution and achieves a 50% enhancement in graphics performance over the NVIDIA T1000.

To aid in quickly realizing Vision AI, Advantech provides the Edge AI SDK, a rapid AI development toolkit compatible with Intel OpenVINO, which can process the same workload in 40% less time. This groundbreaking graphics solution, with optimized thermal design and an auto smart fan, is specially engineered for image processing and AI acceleration across gaming, medical analysis, and video surveillance. Advantech will demonstrate the EAI-3101 GPU card from April 9th to 11th at the Embedded World 2024 (Hall 3, booth no. 339) in Nuremberg, Germany.

Today at Embedded World, SiFive, Inc., the pioneer and leader of RISC-V computing, unveiled its new state-of-the-art RISC-V development board, the HiFive Premier P550. The board will be available for large-scale deployment through Arrow Electronics so developers around the world can test and develop new RISC-V applications like machine vision, video analysis, AI PC and others, allowing them to use AI and other cutting-edge technologies across many different market segments.

With a quad-core SiFive Performance P550 processor, the HiFive Premier P550 is the highest performance RISC-V development board in the industry, and the latest in the popular HiFive family. Designed to meet the computing needs of modern workloads, the out-of-order P550 core delivers superior compute density and performance in an energy-efficient area footprint. Furthermore, the modular design of the HiFive Premier P550, which includes a replaceable system-on-module (SOM) board, gives developers the flexibility they need to tailor their designs.

According to ChinaScope, an effort is currently underway to strengthen Huawei's HarmonyOS platform's presence. The local government of Shenzhen has unveiled an ambitious program aimed at supercharging the development of native applications for the operating system. The "Shenzhen Action Plan for Supporting the Development of Native HarmonyOS Open Source Applications in 2024" outlines several key goals to foster a more robust and competitive ecosystem around HarmonyOS. One primary objective is for Shenzhen-based HarmonyOS apps to account for over 10% of China's total by the end of 2024. To facilitate this, the city plans to establish at least two specialized industrial parks dedicated to HarmonyOS software development across various application domains.

Furthermore, the initiative calls for over 1,000 software companies in Shenzhen to obtain HarmonyOS development talent qualifications, underscoring the city's commitment to cultivating a skilled workforce for the platform. Perhaps most impressively, the action plan encourages eligible companies to ramp up their outsourcing services for HarmonyOS app development, with a lofty target of reaching 500,000 HarmonyOS developers. This would represent a significant influx of developer talent focused on the platform if achieved. The Shenzhen government's push aligns with China's broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technologies and promote the adoption of domestic alternatives like HarmonyOS. While initially launched by Huawei as a workaround for U.S. sanctions, HarmonyOS has since expanded to power many devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and TVs.

Samsung Electronics America, the leader in advanced memory technology, today introduced the latest iteration of its EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards, designed for mobile devices and handheld gaming consoles. The Samsung EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards boast increased transfer speeds of up to 160 MB/s, a 23% increase over their predecessors. They offer a turnkey way for everyday users and gamers to add storage space to their devices for content like games, files, photos, and videos.

"With the mobile and handheld gaming market on the rise, we sought to make data transfers on those devices even faster with these updated EVO Select and EVO Plus lines," said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung. "We also heard the need for more space options like a 1 TB memory card for digital files like games, video footage from phones, cameras and drones, photos, and creative designs. With this addition to the lineup, you can be confident you'll have plenty of space, fast speeds and the durability needed to last for years to come."

Akasa today introduced the ALUCIA H4A, a low-profile air-type CPU cooler for AMD sockets AM5 and AM4. With its fan in place, the cooler has a Z-height of just under 30 mm, which it achieves using a highly compacted fin-stack heatsink, and a thin form-factor fan. The cooler can deal with AMD Ryzen processors with TDP of up to 95 W, which should make it fit for the majority of processor- and APU models. Its design involves a nickel-plated copper base located between a factory-fitted retention-module. From this base, four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes pass through, conveying heat to an aluminium fin-stack heatsink, which is ventilated by a 92 mm fan.

The Akasa ALUCIA H4A measures 94 mm x 94 mm x 29.5 mm (WxDxH), weighing 232 g. Its 92 mm ball-bearing fan is rated for 40,000 hours by its designers. It takes in 4-pin PWM input, and turns at speeds ranging between 800-3,600 RPM. It pushes a maximum of 40 CFM of airflow, at 2.2 mm H₂O static pressure, and noise ranging between 17-35.8 dBA. The company didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that the cooler is backed by a 2-year warranty.

At Embedded World 2024, Enclustra will showcase limitless potential to innovate the next big thing with over 20 FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) embedded system on module (SoM) technology solutions. Starting with unveiling Pluto, its tiny titan at 30 x 30 mm, the new coin-sized SoM with the strength of AMD Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, features ultra-compact embedded intelligence and portability, accelerating development of compact and portable low-power applications in industrial, healthcare, and security. Pluto's miniature form factor and high processing power are ideal for real-time video processing in medical smart glasses, VR, environmental monitoring, drones, autonomous navigation, and artificial intelligence inference.

"Enclustra leverages strategic partnerships with AMD, Altera and Microchip to provide customers with a comprehensive ecosystem of cutting-edge FPGA solutions optimized for performance and cost. We integrated their technology into our Pluto SoM, enabling unparalleled processing power and efficiency in a compact form factor," said Philipp Baechtold, CEO of Enclustra GmbH. "The future is bright for innovation with FPGA embedded chip technologies, creating life-saving, life-changing, and dream-making solutions."

Today, MINISFORUM officially released its first portable monitor, the MSS-A156, which features a 15.6-inch QHD 144 Hz touchscreen display. The monitor is now available for purchase on the MINISFORUM official store at a price of US$189. MSS-A156 boasts an aluminium alloy body, emphasizing a lightweight and stylish design. With dimensions of 357x223x4mm and weighing approximately 900 g, it also comes with a magnetic protective cover that prevents scratches and doubles as a stand.

The display specifications of this portable monitor are impressive. It features a 15.6-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2560x1440, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. With color accuracy (ΔE) below 2, a contrast ratio of 1000:1, peak brightness of 400 nits, and a 144 Hz refresh rate, it caters to both everyday multimedia and professional design tasks. The MSS-A156 supports 10-point touch, allowing content creators to interact directly with the screen using their fingers. Even without an external keyboard and mouse, it meets most usage scenarios.

Imagination Technologies today unveils the next product in the Catapult CPU IP range, the Imagination APXM-6200 CPU: a RISC-V application processor with compelling performance density, seamless security and the artificial intelligence capabilities needed to support the compute and intuitive user experience needs for next generation consumer and industrial devices.

"The number of RISC-V based devices is skyrocketing with over 16Bn units forecast by 2030, and the consumer market is behind much of this growth" says Rich Wawrzyniak, Principal Analyst at SHD Group. "One fifth of all consumer devices will have a RISC-V based CPU by the end of this decade. Imagination is set to be a force in RISC-V with a strategy that prioritises quality and ease of adoption. Products like APXM-6200 are exactly what will help RISC-V achieve the promised success."

All-in-one computers are often traditionally seen as lower-powered alternatives to traditional desktop workstations. However, a new offering from Alafia AI, a startup focused on medical imaging appliances, aims to shatter that perception. The company's upcoming Alafia Aivas SuperWorkstation packs serious hardware muscle, demonstrating that all-in-one systems can match the performance of their more modular counterparts. At the heart of the Aivas SuperWorkstation lies a 128-core Ampere Altra processor, running at 3.0 GHz clock speed. This CPU is complemented by not one but three NVIDIA L4 GPUs for compute, and a single NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada GPU for video output, delivering a combined 28,416 CUDA cores for accelerated parallel computing tasks. The system doesn't skimp on other components, either. It features a 4K touch display with up to 360 nits of brightness, an extensive 2 TB of DDR4 RAM, and storage options up to an 8 TB solid-state drive. This combination of cutting-edge CPU, GPU, memory, and storage is squarely aimed at the demands of medical imaging and AI development workloads.

The all-in-one form factor packs this incredible hardware into a sleek, purposefully designed clinical research appliance. While initially targeting software developers, Alafia AI hopes that institutions that can optimize their applications for the Arm architecture can eventually deploy the Aivas SuperWorkstation for production medical imaging workloads. The company is aiming for application integration in Q3 2024 and full ecosystem device integration by Q4 2024. With this powerful new offering, Alafia AI is challenging long-held assumptions about the performance limitations of all-in-one systems. The Aivas SuperWorkstation demonstrates that the right hardware choices can transform these compact form factors into true powerhouse workstations. Especially with a combined total output of three NVIDIA L4 compute units, alongside RTX 4000 Ada graphics card, the AIO is more powerful than some of the high-end desktop workstations.

An alleged picture of an unreleased AMD Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processor, just hit the wires. "Granite Ridge" is codename for the desktop implementation of the "Zen 5" microarchitecture, it succeeds the current Ryzen 7000 "Raphael" that's powered by "Zen 4." From what we're hearing, the CPU core counts of "Granite Ridge" continue to top out at 16. These chips will be built in the existing AMD Socket AM5 package, and will be compatible with existing AMD 600-series chipset motherboards, although the company is working on a new motherboard chipset to go with the new chips.

The alleged AMD engineering sample pictured below has an OPN 100-000001290-11, which is unreleased. This OPN also showed up on an Einstein@Home online database, where the distributed computing platform read it as having 16 threads, making this possibly an 8-core/16-thread SKU. The "Zen 5" microarchitecture is expected to provide a generational IPC increase over "Zen 4," but more importantly, offer a significant performance increase for AVX-512 workloads due to an updated FPU. AMD is expected to unveil its Ryzen 9000 series "Zen 5" processors at the 2024 Computex.

The month of April continues with more low-key releases and this week's major release is a somewhat new take on the MMO genre which focuses on players being nice to each other. As for the rest of this week we have a VR Western, a gigantic game, some roads in need of repair, a zone free of infection and turn-based tactics game involving mutant animals.

Sky: Children of the Light / This week's major release / Wednesday 10 April
Sky: Children of the Light is a peaceful, award-winning MMO from the creators of Journey. Explore a beautifully-animated kingdom across seven realms and create enriching memories with other players in this delightful puzzle-adventure game. Steam Link

While we are all used to having a system with a CPU, GPU, and, recently, NPU—X-Silicon Inc. (XSi), a startup founded by former Silicon Valley veterans—has unveiled an interesting RISC-V processor that can simultaneously handle CPU, GPU, and NPU workloads in a chip. This innovative chip architecture, which will be open-source, aims to provide a flexible and efficient solution for a wide range of applications, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, automotive systems, and IoT devices. The new microprocessor combines a RISC-V CPU core with vector capabilities and GPU acceleration into a single chip, creating a versatile all-in-one processor. By integrating the functionality of a CPU and GPU into a single core, X-Silicon's design offers several advantages over traditional architectures. The chip utilizes the open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) for both CPU and GPU operations, running a single instruction stream. This approach promises lower memory footprint execution and improved efficiency, as there is no need to copy data between separate CPU and GPU memory spaces.

Called the C-GPU architecture, X-Silicon uses RISC-V Vector Core, which has 16 32-bit FPUs and a Scaler ALU for processing regular integers as well as floating point instructions. A unified instruction decoder feeds the cores, which are connected to a thread scheduler, texture unit, rasterizer, clipping engine, neural engine, and pixel processors. All is fed into a frame buffer, which feeds the video engine for video output. The setup of the cores allows the users to program each core individually for HPC, AI, video, or graphics workloads. Without software, there is no usable chip, which prompts X-Silicon to work on OpenGL ES, Vulkan, Mesa, and OpenCL APIs. Additionally, the company plans to release a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) for direct chip programming. According to Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the industry has been seeking an open-standard GPU that is flexible and scalable enough to support various markets. X-Silicon's CPU/GPU hybrid chip aims to address this need by providing manufacturers with a single, open-chip design that can handle any desired workload. The XSi gave no timeline, but it has plans to distribute the IP to OEMs and hyperscalers, so the first silicon is still away.

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TechPowerUp today released the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the graphics sub-system information, diagnostic, and monitoring utility for enthusiasts, gamers, and engineers. Version 2.58.0 adds initial support for Intel Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" processors. Support is also added for AMD Radeon RX 7600M graphics. In the NVIDIA side of things, support is added for several exotic GPUs such as the RTX 3500 "Ada," RTX 3050 4 GB, and A500. Periodic stuttering in Counter Strike 2 and certain other games, due to GPU-Z accessing the underlying Radeon hardware has been fixed. Video BIOS version reporting is added for Intel "Alder Lake," "Raptor Lake," and "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors. Framework and Aetina notebook sub-vendor IDs have been added with this release. Support for Shader Model 6.7 and 6.8 has been added. DXVA now supports 8K resolution profile reporting. The PCIe resizable BAR reporting will correctly report status for NVIDIA "Turing" GPUs now, previously it was limited to Ampere and newer.

Data formatting of some OpenCL size values has been improved in the Advanced tab with this release. The GPU-Z installer is now digitally signed. The ROP count of Radeon RX 7900 GRE and NVIDIA A40 now correctly display. AMD "Zen 4" mobile processor memory type displaying as DDR5 when LPDDR5 memory installed, has been fixed. A rare bluescreen on some AMD GPUs has been fixed. Grab GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.58.0

Yesterday, NVIDIA released the latest version of its Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) 3.7.0. The newest version promises to improve image quality. Among the most notable additions is the now default "E" quality preset. This builds upon the previous DLSS versions but introduces noticeably sharper images, generally improved fine detail stability, reduced ghosting, and better temporal stability in general compared to DLSS 3.5. It has been tested with Cyberpunk 2077 in the YouTube video with the comparison between DLSS 3.5.10, DLSS 3.6.0, and the newest DLSS 3.7.0. Additionally, some Reddit users reported seeing a noticeable difference on Horizon Forbidden West at 1440p.

Generally, the DLSS 3.7.0 version can be a drop-in replacement to the older DLSS versions. Using DLSS Tweaks, or even manually, users can patch in the latest DLSS 3.7.0 DLL and force games that weren't shipped initially or updated to support the latest DLSS 3.7.0 DLL file. We have the latest DLL download up on our Downloads section on TechPowerUp, so users can install DLSSTweaks and grab the desired file version on our website.

Grab the latest DLSS 3.7.0 DLL file here.

AMD "Zen 5" CPU microarchitecture will introduce a significant performance increase for AVX-512 workloads, with some sources reported as high as 40% performance increases over "Zen 4" in benchmarks that use AVX-512. A Moore's Law is Dead report detailing the execution engine of "Zen 5" holds the answer to how the company managed this—using a true 512-bit FPU. Currently, AMD uses a dual-pumped 256-bit FPU to execute AVX-512 workloads on "Zen 4." The updated FPU should significantly improve the core's performance in workloads that take advantage of 512-bit AVX or VNNI instructions, such as AI.

Giving "Zen 5" a 512-bit FPU meant that AMD also had to scale up the ancillaries—all the components that keep the FPU fed with data and instructions. The company therefore increased the capacity of the L1 DTLB. The load-store queues have been widened to meet the needs of the new FPU. The L1 Data cache has been doubled in bandwidth, and increased in size by 50%. The L1D is now 48 KB in size, up from 32 KB in "Zen 4." FPU MADD latency has been reduced by 1 cycle. Besides the FPU, AMD also increased the number of Integer execution pipes to 10, from 8 on "Zen 4." The exclusive L2 cache per core remains 1 MB in size.Update 07:02 UTC: Moore's Law is Dead reached out to us and said that the slide previously posted by them, which we had used in an earlier version of this article, is fake, but said that the information contained in that slide is correct, and that they stand by the information.

TechPowerUp and Arctic brought six of our readers a unique opportunity to win a set of CPU cooler, case fans, and thermal pastes from Arctic, with three of you getting to pick an Arctic Liquid Freezer III AIO of your choice, three P-series PST case fans, and a tube of MX-6 TIM; and three others getting to pick their choice of Freezer 36 series air coolers, case fans, and the TIM. Entries closed on March 31, and the winners are in!

The following three win their pick of Liquid Freezer III series AIO CLC, plus three P-series PST case fans of their choice (besides the fans included with the AIO); plus a tube of MX-6:

• H. H. from Poland
• Saud A. from the United Arab Emirates
• HorribleGamr from the United States

The following three win their pick of Freezer 36 series air CPU coolers, plus three P-series PST case fans of their choice (besides the ones included with the cooler); plus an MX-6:

• Str1000ac from Croatia
• Thomas G. from the United States
• Ralph Rommualdo Z. from The Philippines

A huge congratulations to you six! TechPowerUp and Arctic will return with more such interesting Giveaways!

Intel on Wednesday released the XeSS 1.3 performance enhancement, which works with Intel Arc "Alchemist" discrete GPUs, and Intel Arc iGPUs powering the Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" processors. The new super sampling technology brings several under-the-hood improvements to the upscaler, which improves image quality at a given resolution. Intel leveraged this improved upscaler to rework the resolution-scale of each performance preset, thereby improving performance per preset; while also introducing new presets at both ends of the resolution scale. The company released the XeSS 1.3 SDK on GitHub, so developers can begin exploring the tech and implementing it on their games.

The XeSS 1.3 update is predicated on an improved upscaler. Intel says that it has updated the AI models with new optimizations, and additional pre-training, particularly with difficult to upscale elements (such as meshes, as in textures with a lot of alpha pixels). The updated upscaler offers better reconstruction of detail, better AA, less ghosting, and improved temporal stability. Intel then used this up change the resolution scale across all its presets as detailed in the table below. It introduced the new Ultra Performance preset that does a 3.0x resolution scale, something that didn't exist in the previous versions of XeSS. On the other end of the spectrum is Native AA, a mode that has zero upscaling, but just the full application of the upscaler as a varnish—this is essentially Intel's take on DLAA.

Over 500 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and barely a week goes by without an incredible new game integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects to deliver the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Last week, Outpost: Infinity Siege launched with DLSS 3, Diablo IV added ray-traced effects, and Alone In The Dark and Lightyear Frontier launched with DLSS 2. This week, we're highlighting the start of Season 3 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone, the 1.0 launch of Midnight Ghost Hunt, and Tchia availability on Steam, all enhanced by NVIDIA DLSS. Read on for all the details.

Call of Duty Season 3 Available Now: Enhance Your Experience With DLSS 3, DLAA & Reflex
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone players can drop into Season 3, available now. Headlining the season is the much-anticipated return of Rebirth Island in Call of Duty: Warzone, including all-new gameplay features that will change the dynamics of your experience on this fan-favorite map. In Modern Warfare III Multiplayer, jump into an unprecedented number of maps and modes that will surely deliver both new and familiar combat experiences, and stay tuned for a massive in-season Zombies update that includes a brand-new Dark Aether Rift and a showdown with the Dark Aether entity face-to-face.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the Razer Blade 18 (2024) - the pinnacle of high-performance gaming laptops. Building on the success of the award-winning Blade 16 and Blade 14 unveiled at CES 2024, the Blade 18 sets a new benchmark for gaming and creative work with its unrivaled desktop-grade performance, housed within a sleek anodized aluminium unibody form factor.

"The Blade 18 embodies Razer's relentless drive to push the boundaries of what a gaming laptop can be, with a host of world's first innovations," says Travis Furst, Head of Notebook & Accessories Division at Razer. "We are excited to deliver the Blade 18 as it ushers in a new era of Razer products equipped with Thunderbolt 5, including upcoming cutting-edge Thunderbolt accessories. With these innovations, the Blade 18 blurs the line between desktop performance and mobile convenience, ensuring our users are equipped with nothing but the absolute best to dominate in gaming and creativity."

While Dropbox, OneDrive, and iCloud Drive are beloved by many, they can end up costing you hundreds over a lifetime. If you're looking for a more sustainable storage solution, you should check out Koofr. With a one-time payment, you can own a 1 TB cloud for life and it's on sale at StackSocial for $129.99 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR.

Koofr is a high-rated cloud storage platform with 290+ positive reviews. Most buyers rave about its incredible lifetime value, and we'd have to agree: With other cloud storage solutions, you're paying around $10 each month which adds up to $120 every year; while, with Koofr, you only have to pay $129.99 once for lifetime use with code KOOFR at checkout. Your 1 TB cloud is capable of holding around 250,000 photos, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million document pages. If this seems like an excess, remember that this space is intended to cover your needs for life.Stop renting your cloud storage and own 1 TB for life with Koofr, now $129.99 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR at checkout.

Rain or shine, a new month means new games. GeForce NOW kicks off April with nearly 20 new games, seven of which are available to play this week. GFN Thursday celebrates the 10-year anniversary of ZeniMax Online Studios' Elder Scrolls Online by bringing the award-winning online role-playing game (RPG) to the cloud this week. Plus, the GeForce NOW Ultimate membership comes to gamers in Japan for the first time, with new GeForce RTX 4080 SuperPODs online today.

The Rising Sun Goes Ultimate
GeForce NOW is rolling out the green carpet to gamers in Japan, expanding next-generation cloud gaming worldwide. The Ultimate membership tier is now available to gamers in the region, delivering up to 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second, all at ultra-low latency - even on devices without the latest hardware. Gamers in Japan can now access from the cloud triple-A titles by some of the world's largest publishers. Capcom's Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil Village will be coming to GeForce NOW at a later date for members to stream at the highest performance. GeForce NOW will operate in Japan alongside GeForce NOW Alliance partner and telecommunications company KDDI, which currently offers its customers access to GeForce RTX 3080-powered servers, in addition to its mobile benefits. Plus, new GFNA partners in other regions will be announced this year - stay tuned to GFN Thursdays for details.

BIGBIG WON, a pioneer in gaming accessories, today announces the release of its Gale Wireless Gaming Controller. This state-of-the art controller is designed to elevate the gaming experience to unprecedented heights with a range of high-end features despite its affordable pricing. It also supports multiple platforms including Windows PC, Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch. This versatile controller boasts an array of advanced features that cater to the needs of both hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike. The Gale is available in two colour options (black or white) for RRP £49.99 from Amazon UK and $39.99 on Amazon. It is also available as a combo with a charging dock for RRP £59.99 on Amazon UK and $59.99 on Amazon.

The Gale excels in its advanced features designed to provide a competitive edge for gamers. The BIGBIG WON 'Elite' App allows real-time adjustments for motion control, joystick, trigger, buttons and Macro settings. The RGB lighting effects can also be personalized through the app, which enhances the gaming experience according to the user's preference. It also features 2 back buttons and 2 additional top buttons, which can be remapped as required. Additionally, Dual Motor Vibration is built-in, which has 256 adjustable intensity levels, helping to make the gaming experience even more immersive. Interchangeable thumb-sticks and D-Pad are even included, which can be swapped for each game genre to help gain an advantage over other players.

EK, the leading computer cooling-solutions provider, proudly announces the launch of the EK-Loop Thermal Paste NGP (5 g), a thermal interface material meticulously engineered for enthusiasts seeking efficient thermal transfer between high-end components and their cooler of choice. The EK-Loop Thermal Paste NGP utilizes nano-grade particles, ensuring effective heat transfer between CPUs, GPUs, and other chipsets and their respective cooling mechanisms, such as water blocks and heatsinks.

The cornerstone of the EK-Loop Thermal Paste NGP is its Nano Grade Particles (NGP) technology, which ensures very low thermal impedance and excellent applicability. These nano-grade particles are engineered to form an ultra-thin layer between the heat source and the cooler, promoting effective heat dissipation. The low thermal impedance is important as it allows the paste to effectively transfer heat away from critical components like CPUs and GPUs, minimizing the risk of overheating and supporting overall system performance.

NVIDIA today released the latest version of GeForce Game Ready drivers. Version 552.12 WHQL comes with optimization for Call of Duty Warzone Season 3 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare III Season 3 update. This includes support for DLSS 3 Frame Generation and Reflex. Next up, the new drivers add optimization for Diablo IV's ray tracing update. GeForce Experience and NVIDIA App optimal settings are added for 9 new game titles. NVIDIA issued just one fix with this driver release. Apparently Horizon Forbidden West had an improper Resizable BAR implementation, which this driver release fixes on compatible RTX 30-series and RTX 40-series GPUs. Grab the driver from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 552.12 WHQL

The creator brand of leading memory provider Team Group Inc. today launches the T-CREATE EXPERT S.M.A.R.T. MicroSDXC memory card in a 2 TB capacity version. This product is tailored for the creative community, providing a specialized solution for unleashing creativity. Additionally, it is equipped with patented AI intelligent "S.M.A.R.T." monitoring software, combining top-tier specifications with intelligent software to meet the daily and professional creative storage needs of creators.

The T-CREATE EXPERT S.M.A.R.T. MicroSDXC memory card is equipped with AI-intelligent "S.M.A.R.T." software, allowing creators to monitor the condition of the memory card through the proprietary software provided by Team Group. By utilizing flash memory wear detection technology, it effectively monitors the condition of the memory card product, emphasizing the concept that "prevention is better than data recovery." The T-CREATE EXPERT S.M.A.R.T. MicroSDXC memory card meets the UHS speed class U3, video speed class V30, and application performance class A2 specifications. When paired with a professional card reader, it achieves read and write speeds of up to 170 MB/s and 160 MB/s, respectively, supporting 4K Ultra HD and 1080p Full HD video recording and continuous shooting of photos. With its 2 TB large capacity, it can be installed in GoPro HERO 12, allowing for up to 31.5 hours of video recording. Whether supporting sports cameras, drones, interviews, outdoor shooting, or wildlife photography, its outstanding performance makes it the top choice for creators indoors and outdoors, from mountains to seas.

DFI, the world's leading brand in embedded motherboards and industrial computers, proudly announced the launch of its innovative product lineup featuring Windows on Arm (WoA) at Embedded World 2024. DFI NXP products deliver high power efficiency and seamlessly integrate Windows on Arm, introducing a new era in computing where the traditional stronghold of Windows on x86 processors is evolving.

Arm and Microsoft revealed a compelling study that projected an 81% growth in the Windows on Arm market within the next five years. DFI's commitment to embracing this dynamic landscape is evident in its latest product offerings, designed to unlock the true potential of WoA. The diverse NXP product lineup included Single Board Computers, system-embedded Box PCs, and Panel PCs tailored to various customer needs.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, has launched the LDC series—the world's first Customizable All-in-One mega LED displays. These innovative LED displays enable adaptable display configurations in various aspect ratios and sizes of up to 760 inches. Blending the size versatility of traditional LED displays with the convenience of an All-in-One integration, they are flexible in customized configurations while ensuring easy installation, operation, upkeep, and management functionality. The new LDC series is designed to facilitate seamless and effortless video wall and digital signage deployments across business, commercial, and public spaces.

"ViewSonic is dedicated to innovation and strives to incorporate advanced technology with pioneering product designs. The launch of the LDC series marks a significant milestone in the industry, showcasing that flexibility, effortless installation, and ease of use can coexist in an ultra-large-format display," said Dean Tsai, General Manager of Projector & LED Display Business Unit at ViewSonic. "We consistently focus on enhancing the overall user experience that exceeds expectations. Our comprehensive portfolio allows us to expand the business into the growing digital signage market, further indicating our dedication to proactively addressing our customers' evolving needs with greater versatility."

MIPS, a leading developer of efficient and configurable IP compute cores, today announced that it has expanded its collaboration with Synopsys, Inc. to accelerate ecosystem enablement of MIPS RISC-V IP and their customer's ability to innovate compute without constraints. MIPS will showcase MIPS' RISC-V IP Core technology utilizing the Synopsys ImperasFPM Fast Processor Models and the Synopsys ImperasPDK Processor Development Kit software simulation tools at embedded world 2024.

The MIPS RISC-V P8700 IP featured in the demo at embedded world, is a versatile processor, available in scalable multicore configurations, capable of running Linux and other high-level operating systems (HLOS) and is suitable for a variety of automotive (and non-automotive) applications. As a key benefit, customers using the Synopsys ImperasFPM and ImperasPDK fast simulation solution can get started early with software development for the MIPS P8700 and I8500.

Microsoft Windows 10 is an operating system quite a few people don't want to upgrade from, and some don't even consider the move to Windows 11 an upgrade. This is especially true for businesses or other organizations that aren't sold on Windows 11. Microsoft already has a retirement plan in place, which sees the company discontinue regular security updates for the operating system on October 14, 2025, but you can keep getting these updates beyond that date, for a price.

Under the Extended Security Updates (ESU) plan for Windows 10, you can purchase a year's worth regular "patch Tuesday" security updates at $61, and keep Windows 10 alive till October 2026. Here's where it gets crazy—the price of ESU doubles each year. The October 2026 to October 2027 leg will cost you $122. This doubles again the following year, with the final October 2027 to October 2028 leg costing $244. If you plan on keeping your Windows 10 through till 2028, it will cost you a total of $427 for the three years, per machine. ESU licenses resemble the OS's main license—you either buy them electronically through the Microsoft Store or Windows 365; or as 25-digit codes in retail.

MSI brought back its Gaming Duke line of graphics cards with a GeForce RTX 4060 model meant for the Chinese market. The Duke line of graphics cards have historically held the bottom-end of the company's custom-design product stack, and the same appears to be the case with the new card. The RTX 4060 Gaming Duke looks long and premium, thanks to its 2-slot, triple-fan cooling solution that uses a slender aluminium fin-stack heatsink. MSI has given this cooler its webbed TorX fans that guide all their airflow axially. There are some decent aesthetic touches such as a carbon fiber-print cooler shroud, and a metal backplate. There is no RGB lighting on offer, except a white illuminated MSI logo on the top. The card sticks to NVIDIA reference clock speeds of 2460 MHz boost, and 17 Gbps (GDDR6-effective) memory.

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today reported that following the earthquake that struck Taiwan on April 3, 2024, all of Micron's team members have been accounted for and reported to be safe. Our thoughts are with those affected and their families. We are evaluating impact to our operations and supply chain. We will communicate changes to delivery commitments to our customers after this evaluation is completed.

CHERRY, the manufacturer known for its high-quality input devices, presents the new KW 7100 MINI BT FOR MAC, the compact Bluetooth multi-device keyboard for Mac users. The innovative keyboard was initially released exclusively for Windows last year and is now being expanded to include a Mac version. It combines outstanding performance with a modern design and offers Mac users a user-friendly input option.

Highlight features of the KW 7100 MINI BT FOR MAC include integrated media keys, three channels for linking to other Mac devices via Bluetooth and effortless switching between these three connected devices. The low profile and comfortable, quiet keys ensure a comfortable and efficient typing experience. With its slim, space-saving design, it appeals particularly to Mac users who are looking for both functionality and design.

SK hynix Inc., the world's leading producer of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips, announced today that it will invest an estimated $3.87 billion in West Lafayette, Indiana to build an advanced packaging fabrication and R&D facility for AI products. The project, the first of its kind in the United States, is expected to drive innovation in the nation's AI supply chain, while bringing more than a thousand new jobs to the region.

The company held an investment agreement ceremony with officials from Indiana State, Purdue University, and the U.S. government at Purdue University in West Lafayette on the 3rd and officially announced the plan. At the event, officials from each party including Governor of Indiana Eric Holcomb, Senator Todd Young, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce Arun Venkataraman, Secretary of Commerce State of Indiana David Rosenberg, Purdue University President Mung Chiang, Chairman of Purdue Research Foundation Mitch Daniels, Mayor of city of West Lafayette Erin Easter, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States Hyundong Cho, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago Junghan Kim, SK vice chairman Jeong Joon Yu, SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung and SK hynix Head of Package & Test Choi Woojin, participated.

Save 74% on a Babbel lifetime subscription through May 2 and learn up to 14 new languages, like Spanish, French, Italian, or German. With more than 10 million users worldwide, Babbel is the top-selling language-learning app on the market, and a lifetime subscription is on sale right now. While it usually costs $599, or requires regular payments for a monthly subscription, you can get lifetime access to Babbel for $139.97 on StackSocial through March 17. Users can learn on desktop devices or using the iOS or Android mobile apps. Content can also be downloaded ahead of time for offline access.

Sign up for your Babbel lifetime subscription while they're on sale for $139.97 (reg. $599) until April 3rd at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed.

PowerColor, a leader in graphics card innovation, is thrilled to unveil its latest creation - the PowerColor Hellhound RX 7800 XT Sakura Edition. Leveraging the advanced AMD RDNA architecture and building on the Hellhound series' acclaim, this edition introduces a fresh aesthetic twist to the graphics card world.

Sakura Edition - Grace and Performance
The market has seen its share of themed graphics cards, but the Hellhound RX 7800 XT Sakura Edition stands apart with its all-white design accented by subtle pink details. This design choice not only maintains the card's sleek and unified appearance but also introduces a touch of grace, reminiscent of cherry blossoms. PowerColor's dedication to this theme is evident in every aspect of the card, from an all white PCB to the uniquely white heatsink and cooler design with adorned with pink accents.

According to the latest report from The Verge, Microsoft is currently testing a new AI-driven chatbot designed to automate support tasks for its Xbox gaming platform. As the report notes, Microsoft is experimenting with an animated AI character that will assist in answering Xbox support inquiries. The Xbox AI chatbot is connected to Microsoft's Xbox network and ecosystem support documentation. It can answer questions and process game refunds from the Microsoft support website, all aiming to provide users with simple and quick assistance on support topics using natural language, drawing information from existing Xbox support pages. Training on Microsoft's enterprise data will help Microsoft reduce the AI model's hallucinations and instruct it to do only as intended.

As a result, the chatbot's responses closely resemble the information Microsoft provides to its customers to automate support tasks. Recently, Microsoft has expanded the test pool for its new Xbox chatbot, suggesting that the "Xbox Support Virtual Agent" may soon handle support inquiries for all Xbox customers. The development of the Xbox chatbot prototype is part of a broader initiative within Microsoft Gaming to introduce AI-powered features and tools for the Xbox platform and developer tools. The company is also reportedly working on providing AI capabilities for game content creation, gameplay, and the Xbox platform and devices. However, Xbox employees have yet to publicly confirm these more extensive AI efforts for Microsoft Gaming, likely due to the company's cautious approach to presenting AI in gaming. Nevertheless, AI will soon become an integral part of gaming consoles.

FarBridge, Inc., a leading game development studio, in partnership with Gearbox Entertainment, is excited to announce Homeworld: Vast Reaches, a bold new story in the beloved Homeworld saga that reimagines strategic space battles for Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality. This new game in the Homeworld universe is launching on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 headsets later this year. Players can now wishlist the game at HomeworldVastReaches.com.

In the award-winning Homeworld games for PC, you play as Fleet Command, a human commander who controls a fleet of spaceships. Players will take on the same role in Homeworld: Vast Reaches in vicious combat against a mysterious new foe.

ASRock proudly announces its new Z790I Lightning WiFi and B760I Lightning WiFi Mini-ITX motherboards. Equipped with a robust 14+1+1 power phase design and an optimized memory layout, these motherboards fully unleash the powerful performance of Intel Core 14th Gen K-series processors. Offering top-tier memory overclocking capabilities for supporting DDR5 8600+ memory modules, they present an excellent choice for gamers and mini-PC enthusiasts seeking the ultimate overclocking performance. The Z790I Lightning WiFi has achieved four overclocking world records on HWBOT.org with the Intel Core i9-14900KS processor. Additionally, the B760I Lightning WiFi received the "Best Motherboard" award at CES 2024 from Tom's Hardware, emphasizing its exceptional design and overclocking capabilities.

ASRock Z790I Lightning WiFi and B760I Lightning WiFi motherboards feature a 14+1+1 Phase 110 A SPS Dr.MOS VRM, outperforming competing ITX offerings. ASRock has custom-designed a composite cooling solution for these boards, including enlarged aluminium heatsinks, heat-pipe, and a MOS fan, delivering robust cooling performance to enhance overclocking capabilities. This superior cooling ensures the processors perform at their peak.

At 07:58 local time, Taiwan was rocked by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on the east coast which was felt nationwide and as far as to the southeastern parts of China and southern Japan. It caused some major damage in the east coast city of Hualien where the epicentre of the quake was located, as well as surrounding areas. The earthquake reportedly left nine people dead and over 900 people injured islandwide. TSMC, UMC, PSMC and Innolux all halted some of their production lines in the Hsinchu Science Park on the west coast of the island, although this is said to have been as a preventive step, rather than caused by actual damage from the earthquake.

All the above-mentioned companies also evacuated their staff from their factories due to the intensity of the quake, as it reached a magnitude of around four or five almost island wide. The semiconductor manufacturers are all inspecting their fabs now to make sure none of the equipment was damaged by the earthquake. Innolux also has a factory in the southern city of Kaohsiung and has reported that it has suspended production in Hsinchu, but that production in Kaohsiung wasn't affected. Local media in Taiwan hasn't made any mention of the likes of Micron or other chip manufacturers, but it's likely that the situation is similar, since all of these companies are located in the same areas on the island. Aftershocks have continued throughout the day and there's a risk for further big earthquakes to follow in the coming days.Images courtesy of the Taiwan Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Update 15:11 UTC: Updated with an official statement from Micron below.

Intel Corporation today outlined a new financial reporting structure that is aligned with the company's previously announced foundry operating model for 2024 and beyond. This new structure is designed to drive increased cost discipline and higher returns by providing greater transparency, accountability and incentives across the business. To support the new structure, Intel provided recast operating segment financial results for the years 2023, 2022 and 2021. The company also shared a targeted path toward long-term growth and profitability of Intel Foundry, as well as clear goals for driving financial performance improvement and shareholder value creation.

"Intel's differentiated position as both a world-class semiconductor manufacturer and a fabless technology leader creates significant opportunities to drive long-term sustainable growth across these two complementary businesses," said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. "Implementing this new model marks a key achievement in our IDM 2.0 transformation as we hone our execution engine, stand up the industry's first and only systems foundry with geographically diverse leading-edge manufacturing capacity, and advance our mission to bring AI Everywhere."

CE LINK LIMITED ("CE-LINK"), a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics, is thrilled to announce the launch of its revolutionary SFX power supply, setting new benchmarks in both performance and compactness. Engineered to elevate gaming and IT experiences, this latest innovation from CE-LINK stands as the most compact SFX power supply in its category, delivering an impressive maximum output of 1000 W. From April 11-14, visit booth 3A-02 in Hall 3 of the AsiaWorld-Expo to experience this game-changer at the upcoming Global Sources Electronic Show in Hong Kong.

This product features exceptional compactness and outstanding performance. With its small size, measuring just 125x100x63.5 mm, this SFX power supply offers a powerful output, delivering up to 1000 W of maximum power. It is designed to fit seamlessly into any setup, whether it be an ATX or ITX gaming chassis. Additionally, versions with 850 W and 750 W capacities are available to meet various power requirements.

PNY Technologies, a global leader in memory and storage solutions, has expanded its enterprise portfolio through a strategic partnership with PICO, a VR solutions company with independent innovation and R&D capabilities. This partnership highlights PNY's dedication to providing state-of-the-art solutions across a spectrum of applications, from enhancing sports, entertainment, and video consumption to revolutionizing industries such as education, healthcare, and corporate training.

This partnership leverages PICO's XR platform solutions, enhancing PNY's enterprise offerings with unparalleled performance, scalability, and cost efficiency. This move reinforces PNY's position as a key player in the enterprise market.

AMD has introduced the Ryzen Embedded 8000 Series processors, the first AMD embedded devices to combine NPUs based on the AMD XDNA architecture with traditional CPU and GPU elements, optimized for workload versatility and adaptability targeting industrial AI applications. Embedded solution engineers and developers can harness the processing power and leadership features for a variety of industrial AI applications including machine vision, robotics, and industrial automation. AI is widely used in machine vision applications today to enhance quality control and inspection processes.

AI can also help robots make real-time, route-planning decisions and adapt to dynamic environments. In industrial automation, AI processing helps intelligent edge devices perform complex analysis and decision-making without relying on cloud connectivity. This allows for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and autonomous control of industrial processes, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing downtime.

ASUS ROG just published an interesting post on X/Twitter, previewing a future product: the ROG Mjolnir power station. This portable power solution aims to provide uninterrupted gaming experiences, even in outdoor settings. The ROG Mjolnir boasts interesting features catering to modern outdoorsy gamers' needs. It has four power outlets, allowing users to simultaneously power multiple devices such as gaming laptops, monitors, and peripherals. Additionally, the power station includes two USB Type-A and two USB Type-C ports, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of gaming accessories. Using Nordic mythology as inspiration, the ROG Mjolnir's design pays homage to Thor's hammer, Mjölnir. The sleek and rugged exterior not only looks impressive but also promises durability for outdoor use. As an added bonus, the handle of the power station doubles as a torch or light source, providing convenience in low-light environments.

While ASUS has not yet disclosed the specific capacity options or pricing details for the ROG Mjolnir, the company has confirmed that it will be officially unveiled at the upcoming Computex 2024 event in Taiwan. Gamers can expect to learn more about this interesting power station during the event, which is set to commence on June 4th. With the ROG Mjolnir, ASUS aims to provide gamers with a reliable and portable power solution that complements their gaming on-the-go lifestyle. An interesting quote from legendary Stan Lee is suitable here, which many Marvel universe fans might appreciate: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

As we witness Apple's generational updates of the M series of chips, the highly anticipated SKU of the 3rd generation of Apple M series yet-to-be-announced top-of-the-line M3 Ultra chip is growing speculations from industry insiders. The latest round of reports suggests that the M3 Ultra might step away from its predecessor's design, potentially adopting a monolithic architecture without the UltraFusion interconnect technology. In the past, Apple has relied on a dual-chip design for its Ultra variants, using the UltraFusion interconnect to combine two M series Max chips. For example, the second generation M Ultra chip, M2 Ultra, boasts 134 billion transistors across two 510 mm² chips. However, die-shots of the M3 Max have sparked discussions about the absence of dedicated chip space for the UltraFusion interconnect.

While the absence of visible interconnect space on early die-shots is not conclusive evidence, as seen with the M1 Max not having visible UltraFusion interconnect and still being a part of M1 Ultra with UltraFusion, industry has led the speculation that the M3 Ultra may indeed feature a monolithic design. Considering that the M3 Max has 92 billion transistors and is estimated to have a die size between 600 and 700 mm², going Ultra with these chips may be pushing the manufacturing limit. Considering the maximum die size limit of 848 mm² for the TSMC N3B process used by Apple, there may not be sufficient space for a dual-chip M3 Ultra design. The potential shift to a monolithic design for the M3 Ultra raises questions about how Apple will scale the chip's performance without the UltraFusion interconnect. Competing solutions, such as NVIDIA's Blackwell GPU, use a high-bandwidth C2C interface to connect two 104 billion transistor chips, achieving a bandwidth of 10 TB/s. In comparison, the M2 Ultra's UltraFusion interconnect provided a bandwidth of 2.5 TB/s.

In response to the Taiwan government's "Green Network Project for Natural Landscape Conservation," ADATA Technology and Micron Taiwan announced the joint adoption of the "Taichung Coastal Wetland Conservation Belt" and held a signing ceremony during tree planting in March. ADATA Technology Chairman Simon Chen and Micron Taiwan Chairman Donghui Lu attended in person. Witnessed by Chen Chijung, Deputy Branch Director of the Taichung Branch of the Forest and Nature Conservation Agency, both Chairmen led dozens of employees in rolling up their sleeves in the bright sun to plant saplings, taking concrete action to restore nature and protect native habitats, looking forward to building a sustainable future for Taiwan together through the power of corporations.

Forests are responsible for multiple environmental benefits including water conservation, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration. Global forestation is rapidly disappearing at the rate of millions of hectares per year due to factors such as natural disasters caused by extreme climate and illegal logging. ADATA Technology and Micron Taiwan signed a three-year forestation and adoption plan in Taichung to build a natural fortress for Taiwan's coastline. Under the guidance of the Forest and Nature Conservation Agency, employees experienced the tree planting process and demonstrated their positive attitudes towards forestation and restoration. Simon Chen stated, "ADATA announced the launch of a global reforestation project in 2024. Starting from Taiwan, we hope to expand the reach of greening to the world, mitigate the negative impact of climate change through tree planting, and also strive to claim more green spaces for mankind."

MSI, a global leader in high-performance and innovative computing solutions, is excited to announce an upcoming promotion to celebrate the arrival of spring. With the purchase of selected monitors, you can redeem a free dual monitor arm (MSI Ergo Flex), adding springtime joy to your setup. This limited-time offer is not to be missed, so seize the opportunity to upgrade your gaming setup or workplace today.

Spring's arrival calls for a workspace refresh and gaming upgrade! Dual monitors boost productivity, offering ample screen space for multitasking, while monitor arms ensure ergonomic comfort. But the excitement doesn't end there! Dive into immersive gaming with wider views and customized comfort. With MSI Ergo Flex, you'll double your spring delight in both work and play. Don't miss out - elevate your setup today!

Sabrent today debuted the Rocket 4 line of DRAMless M.2 NVMe Gen 4 SSDs. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, these drives take advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface, and provide sequential transfer speeds of up to 7.4 GB/s reads, with up to 6.4 GB/s writes. The drives also offer 4K random access performance of up to 1 million IOPS reads, and 0.95 million IOPS writes. For now, Sabrent is launching 1 TB and 2 TB capacity variants of the Rocket 4, but the company is preparing to launch a larger 4 TB variant soon.

The Sabrent Rocket 4 combines a Phison E27T series DRAMless controller with Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND flash memory (also known as the BiCS 6). There's just a copper foil heat spreader to keep things cool. The 12 nm E27T doesn't run anywhere near as hot as the E18, so you can make do with the heatsink your motherboard includes, or run it the way it is. The 1 TB variant is priced at $99.99, and the 2 TB variant at $199.99. The company didn't reveal pricing of the unreleased 4 TB variant.

AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) was notified on March 27, 2024, of an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer by Tutanota LLC ("Tutanota"). Pursuant to the offer, which is dated March 18, 2024, Tutanota is offering to purchase up to 150,000 shares of AMD common stock at $200.00 per share, which represents approximately 0.009283% of AMD's outstanding shares. The offer price of $200.00 per share is conditioned on, among other things, the closing price per share of AMD common stock exceeding $200.00 per share on the last trading day before the offer expires. This means that unless this condition is waived by Tutanota, AMD stockholders who tender shares in the offer will receive a below-market price. Tutanota can extend the offer for successive periods of 45 to 180 days until the market price of AMD common stock exceeds the offer price, in which case payment would be delayed beyond the scheduled expiration date of Friday, April 19, 2024.

AMD does not in any way recommend or endorse the Tutanota offer because the offer requires that the closing price for AMD common stock exceed the offer price, and the offer price is subject to numerous additional conditions, including Tutanota obtaining financing for the offer. There is no guarantee the conditions of the offer will be satisfied. AMD is in no way associated with Tutanota, the "mini-tender" offer or the offer documentation. "Mini-tender" offers seek less than 5% of a company's outstanding shares thereby avoiding many procedural and disclosure requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") because they are below the SEC's threshold to provide such disclosure and procedural protections for investors.

The expansion of AI technology affects not only the production and demand for graphics cards but also the electricity grid that powers them. Data centers hosting thousands of GPUs are becoming more common, and the industry has been building new facilities for GPU-enhanced servers to serve the need for more AI. However, these powerful GPUs often consume over 500 Watts per single card, and NVIDIA's latest Blackwell B200 GPU has a TGP of 1000 Watts or a single kilowatt. These kilowatt GPUs will be present in data centers with 10s of thousands of cards, resulting in multi-megawatt facilities. To combat the load on the national electricity grid, US President Joe Biden's administration has been discussing with big tech to re-evaluate their power sources, possibly using smaller nuclear plants. According to an Axios interview with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, she has noted that "AI itself isn't a problem because AI could help to solve the problem." However, the problem is the load-bearing of the national electricity grid, which can't sustain the rapid expansion of the AI data centers.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has been reportedly talking with firms, most notably hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, to start considering nuclear fusion and fission power plants to satisfy the need for AI expansion. We have already discussed the plan by Microsoft to embed a nuclear reactor near its data center facility and help manage the load of thousands of GPUs running AI training/inference. However, this time, it is not just Microsoft. Other tech giants are reportedly thinking about nuclear as well. They all need to offload their AI expansion from the US national power grid and develop a nuclear solution. Nuclear power is a mere 20% of the US power sourcing, and DOE is currently financing a Holtec Palisades 800-MW electric nuclear generating station with $1.52 billion in funds for restoration and resumption of service. Microsoft is investing in a Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) microreactor energy strategy, which could be an example for other big tech companies to follow.

Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is pleased to launch the CT120/140 EX ARGB Sync PC Cooling Fan (3-Fan Pack). Thermaltake aims to extend quick magnetic force connections across more fan series, bringing this innovative design to more cooling solutions. The CT EX is a new addition with the advanced MagForce 2.0 for a superior magnetic connection. It also features enhanced cooling capability and 9 addressable LEDs, providing exceptional thermal performance and spectacular lighting effects.

The new MagForce 2.0 Quick Connect Design has two times larger pogo pin contact pads to prevent potential faulty alignment, allowing the CT120/140 EX ARGB Sync to achieve optimal installation efficiency. Attaching the CT EX with the magnetic force design instead of using numerous cables facilitates outstanding cable management and results in a neat interior within the chassis.

The ROG Keris II Ace is an ultralight 54-gram ergonomic tri mode gaming mouse with a shape tested by pro FPS players. Equipped with 42,000-dpi ROG AimPoint Pro optical sensor, ROG Optical Micro Switches and ROG SpeedNova wireless technology, the Keris II Ace levels up on ROG impressive polling rate and click latency via the ROG Polling Rate Booster, which enables polling rates up to 4,000 Hz in wireless mode and up to 8000 Hz in wired mode.

Super-light 54-gram weight with ROG Gaming mouse build quality: Ensures quick and precise movements with minimal handling fatigue. Premium quality continues as a hallmark of ROG mice ensuring outstanding fit, finish and feel. PBT L/R buttons also offer superior durability and resistance against wear and shine over time while also offering subtle texture. ROG Polling Rate Booster: Level up beyond ASUS ROG's already impressive 1,000 Hz polling rate performance & stability. The next level awaits for those demanding the lowest input latency. Attach the ROG Polling Rate Booster to enable polling rates up to 4000 Hz in wireless mode and up to 8000 Hz in wired mode. This new level of ultra-high polling rate performance perfectly complements the latest 240 Hz+ ROG gaming monitors.

Intel over the weekend released the latest version of the Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.5382 WHQL builds incrementally on the 101.5379 Beta from a week prior. It doesn't include any game-specific optimization, but is WHQL-signed, and fixes a couple of issues along the way. To begin with, an issue that caused "Horizon Forbidden West" to show higher than expected game load times has been fixed. Also fixed is an application hang during loading of the 3DMark Speedway benchmark. "Starfield" experiencing a game crash with High or Ultra graphics settings has been fixed. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5382 WHQL

In a interesting discovery that sent a series of shockwaves through the Linux community, Andres Freund, Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft, located a malicious backdoor in the widely used compression tool called "xz Utils." The backdoor, introduced in versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 of the utility, can break the robust encryption provided by the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, allowing unauthorized access to affected systems. What Andres Freund found is that the latest version of xz Utils is taking 0.5 seconds in SSH on his system, while the older system with the older version took 0.1 seconds for simple processing, prompting the user to investigate and later send a widespread act for caution. While there are no confirmed reports of the backdoored versions being incorporated into production releases of major Linux distributions, the incident has raised serious concerns among users and developers alike.

Red Hat and Debian, two of the most well-known Linux distribution developers, have reported that their recently published beta releases, including Fedora 40, Fedora Rawhide, and Debian testing, unstable, and experimental distributions, used at least one of the affected versions of xz Utils. According to Red Hat officials, the first signs of the backdoor were introduced in a February 23 update, which added obfuscated (unreadable) code to xz Utils. A subsequent update the following day introduced functions for deobfuscating the code and injecting it into code libraries during the utility's update process. The malicious code has been cleverly hidden only in the tarballs, which target upstream releases of Linux distributions.

Back in the glory days of x86 in the 1990s, you could buy an IBM PC-compatible x86 processor from not just Intel and AMD, but also the likes of Cyrix, IDT, Transmeta, and NEC. Competition among the various x86 licensees propelled innovation through the first half of the 32-bit era, but toward the end of the century, and with the Y2K frenzy looming, the PC processor market saw a slew of consolidations, such as Cyrix and IDT (later Centaur) being acquired by VIA Technology. As of 2000, only two companies made high performance x86 processors, and processors for servers—Intel and AMD, with VIA Technology limiting itself to the entry-level PC market. Then came along Arm Cortex 32-bit, graduating from the embedded computing market to client computing, driven by smartphones.

Intel's main competitor today isn't AMD, it's Arm and its constellation of licensees, such as Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, and NVIDIA. Over the decades that followed the advent of the iPhone, Arm graduated from smartphones to PCs (eg: Snapdragon X, Apple M3), and servers (eg: Ampere Altra and NVIDIA Grace). Intel seems to have had the sudden realization that Intel Products should open up in the same way as Intel Foundry Services, and that just as IFS in Pat Gelsinger's words aspires to be the "TSMC of America," x86 should aspire to be the "Arm of America." The only way to go about doing this is to adopt an IP licensing model similar to that of Arm, where third parties are licensed the x86 machine architecture, and should pay Intel royalties based on their chip volumes, and other factors such as CPU core counts. Much like Arm, Intel could set up separate licensing models for SoC designers who want Intel's various IA cores as IP blocks, or just the x86 license to design their own cores, like AMD does. Since Intel is a founding member of the UCIe alliance, it could even offer up Compute tiles as chiplets.