Overclocking the memory clock of a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti to 2000 MHz (16 Gbps) isn't difficult, but most custom-design RTX 2080 Ti cards cap out at that, and so the enthusiasts over at TecLab took matters into their own hands by pulling off a daring memory chip replacement mod, by installing 16 Gbps-rated memory chips onto a Galax RTX 2080 Ti HOF graphics card. In a 16-minute video presentation, they detail the process of soldering a component as delicate and sensitive as GDDR6 memory chips, and 45 times over. The team had to sacrifice not one, but two Galax GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics cards, which feature 16 Gbps-rated memory chips to support the SKU's 15.5 Gbps memory clock. A total of 33 manual solder operations had to be performed (removing the 15 stock chips from the RTX 2080 Ti, removing 11 chips from the two RTX 2080 Super cards, and soldering them onto the RTX 2080 Ti).

The group detailed the process of removing the memory chips under hot air, giving the extracted chips fresh ball-grids, and placing the chips onto the RTX 2080 Ti PCB. No BIOS modding was required, as the RTX 2080 Ti card's video BIOS was able to auto-detect the chips and run them at 14 Gbps. From here on, manual overclocking easily runs the card at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps) memory, with overclocking headroom to spare. The memory clock could now be dialed all the way up to 2150 MHz (17.2 Gbps), something that's close to impossible with 14 Gbps chips. TecLab is calling their creation the world's first RTX 2080 Ti Super, which could very well be true. Last we heard, the RTX 2080 Ti Super could get more CUDA cores, and not just faster memory. Nevertheless, this mod blew our minds, and provides valuable pointers on how to solder dense BGA components without a multi million-dollar placer. We tip our hats to TecLab.Watch the TechLab video presentation here.

Greenliant is now sampling its new high-reliability SATA 6 Gb/s ArmourDrive EX Series products to customers that need ultra robust data retention, ultra high endurance data storage capable of operating under heavy workloads in extreme environments. Designed with Greenliant's EnduroSLC Technology, SATA ArmourDrive EX Series solid state storage modules achieve 50K, 100K and industry-leading 250K+ program-erase (P/E) cycles and provide enhanced data retention. EnduroSLC-enabled SSDs offer high data storage integrity and can withstand wide temperature operations without losing data.

The SATA ArmourDrive EX Series expands the EnduroSLC product family, which also includes SATA 6Gb/s NANDrive and 100-ball/153-ball eMMC NANDrive ball grid array (BGA) solid state drives (SSDs). "SSD and memory card users that need super-high endurance and long-term data retention over a broad temperature range have limited options, since today's NAND flash marketplace is highly focused on consumer applications," said Jim Handy, principal analyst, Objective Analysis. "Greenliant's EnduroSLC products should find a warm reception among these elite users."

Greenliant is now sampling its SATA 6Gb/s NANDrive EX Series ball grid array (BGA) solid state drives (SSDs) to customers that require superior data retention and high program-erase (P/E) cycles. Designed with Greenliant's EnduroSLC Technology, SATA 6 Gb/s NANDrive EX Series SSDs are capable of performing 50K, 100K and industry-leading 250K+ P/E cycles. EnduroSLC Technology substantially enhances data retention and extends write endurance of 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) SSDs with advanced hardware ECC capabilities and NAND flash management algorithms.

Developed with Greenliant's DRAM-less controller, SATA 6 Gb/s NANDrive has enhanced power loss data protection and offers four times the performance over the previous generation of SATA NANDrive products. SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs support Native Command Queuing (NCQ) up to 32 commands and use advanced NAND management techniques to optimize the device's performance during its lifetime. With faster read/write speeds and available in a wide range of capacities (2 GB - 128 GB), SATA 6 Gb/s NANDrive EX Series is ideal for high-performance computing, industrial, transportation, video and networking applications.

Marvell today released the industry's lowest power PCIe Gen4 NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) controller portfolio. Marvell's newest SSD controllers are designed to meet the need for lower power and higher performance in next-generation data centers and edge devices as artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G gain momentum. This breakthrough technology delivers unparalleled performance in an ultra-compact footprint, leveraging the company's complex system-on-chip (SoC) design expertise and groundbreaking storage IP to help data center, notebook, tablet, gaming and edge computing platform architects advance their solutions for the highly distributed data era.

"Marvell's latest family of storage controllers has been architected to optimally address edge computing and data center pain points of power-performance and capacity-performance," said Nigel Alvares, vice president of marketing for the Flash Business Unit at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "With today's launch, we're once again demonstrating Marvell's leadership in storage, delivering the industry's first 4-Channel PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD controllers with the industry's lowest power consumption that will help revolutionize SSD solutions for the data economy."

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND flash products, today launched the ADATA IUSP33F PCIe ball grid array (BGA) solid state drive (SSD). The SSD sports a form factor that is 80 percent more compact than M.2 2242 SSDs. Combined with a PCIe Gen3x2 interface and 3D Flash memory for excellent performance and durability, the IUSP33F is an ideal solution for slim-form-factor tablets, notebooks, hybrids, mini-PCs, thin clients, and wearables.

"We are thrilled to be introducing the new IUSP33F SSD, a compact solution that will enable next-generation tablets, ultrabooks, and other slim devices, but without compromising on performance and reliability," said Hedi Huang, Sales Directorof ADATA. "But the versatility of the IUSP33F goes beyond just these applications, and are also well-suited for new emerging applications in areas such as robotics, augmented and virtual reality, and automotive.

Fueled by continuous big data generation, the ongoing industrial revolution requires storage solutions that offer not only high performance, but also uncompromising reliability and maximum endurance. ATP Electronics, a leading manufacturer of industrial memory and storage solutions, tackles these tough storage demands with its new industrial e.MMC product family.

The ATP industrial e.MMC, which adheres to JEDEC e.MMC v5.1 Standard (JESD84-B51), is poised to make its mark at the Flash Memory Summit 2018 in Santa Clara, USA from August 7 to 9, 2018.

Intel has announced, in-between the flurry of announcement sin the past week, that they're introducing a line of BGA (Ball-Grid Array) microprocessors to their 8th Gen line-up with the Core-B branding. The new CPUs look to deliver easily installed, scalable, premium processor options for all sorts of limited Z-height computing packages, such as the ones found in AIOs, without sacrificing performance in order to keep TDPs in check.

This means that these processors ship with a 65W TDP - higher than Intel's top-performing mobile H solutions. This move may come in handy for some users that wonder regarding upgradeability of a given AIO they're eyeing - if it comes with a Core-B processor, you know it won't be user-serviceable, much less upgradeable. The line-up will start with the Core i7-8700B, i5-8500B, and i5-8400 (yes, there's an absence of a B there) processors, all shipping with a 65 W TDP, and equivalent to their desktop counterparts - core counts, base frequencies, turbo frequencies, memory support, Optane support, and integrated graphics are all the same. The only difference is that these CPUs are likely - and should be expected - to be placed into TDP-limited scenarios enabled through firmware.