A Chinese Topton company has brought new life to the AMD Vega graphics architecture by integrating it into a Network Attached Storage (NAS) motherboard. The Topton N9 NAS motherboard features the Intel Core i7-8705G processor, a unique chip that combines Intel CPU cores with AMD's RX Vega M GL graphics. The Intel Core i7-8705G, initially released in 2018, is an unusual choice for a NAS system. This 14 nm processor features four cores, eight threads, and a boost clock of up to 4.1 GHz. What sets it apart is the integrated AMD RX Vega M GL GPU with 20 Compute Units and 4 GB of HBM2 memory.

The Topton N9 NAS motherboard is designed for the 17×17 cm ITX form factor and offers a range of features like maximum support for 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, M.2 NVMe/SATA and SATA 3.0, eight Intel i226-V controllers for 2.5 Gbit networking, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, and HDMI 2.0 connectivity. While the Intel Core i7-8705G may not be the most obvious choice for a NAS system, the Topton N9 motherboard demonstrates how this unique processor can be repurposed to provide affordable computing power. The integrated AMD RX Vega graphics offer capabilities beyond typical NAS requirements, making this motherboard suitable for various applications, such as home firewalls and routers. The collaboration between Intel and AMD in creating the Kaby Lake-G processors was a rare occurrence in the industry. The Topton N9 starts at $288.56 without a fan/cooler, and adding another $20 bumps the price to $308.46.

Intel and AMD released the first Radeon Software drivers for the exotic Radeon Vega M graphics found in Intel NUC8i7HNK and NUC8i7HVK, in over 16 months. The Intel Download Center just added version 21.10.03.11 of Radeon Software for the graphics solution, dated 09/09/2021. The previous drivers dated all the way back to February 2020, and were based on Adrenalin 20.2.

The drivers are based on a release candidate of Adrenalin 21.10, which is 21.10RC1, but does not include the security updates AMD could be bundling with the upcoming 21.10 drivers (October 2021). "Radeon RX Vega M Graphics Driver version 21.10.03.11, which is based on 21.10RC1, does not include the latest functional and security updates. An update is targeted to be released in March of 2022 and will include additional functional and security updates. Customers should update to the latest version as it becomes available," says Intel in the release notes of the drivers. The drivers do include optimization for the latest games, including "Metro Exodus" (DX12), and "Resident Evil Village," besides adding support for Microsoft PlayReady AV1 decode.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Vega M drivers for Intel NUC8i7HNK and NUC8i7HVK from Intel

Kaby Lake-G was the result of one of the strangest collaborations in the industry - though that may not be a just way of looking at it. It made total sense at the time - a product that combined the world's best CPU design with one of the foremost graphics architectures seems a recipe for success. However, the Intel-AMD collaboration was an unexpected one, as these two rivals were never expected to look eye to eye in any sort of meaningful way. Kaby Lake-G was revolutionary in how it combined both AMD and Intel IP in an EMIB-capable design, but it wasn't one built to last.

Now, after Intel has announced a stop to product manufacturing and order capacity, it's come the time for AMD to pull driver support. The company's latest Windows 10 version 2004 update-compatible drivers don't install on Kaby Lake-G powered systems, citing an unsupported hardware configuration. Tom's Hardware contacted Intel, who said they're working with AMD to bring back "Radeon graphics driver support to Intel NUC 8 Extreme Mini PCs (previously codenamed "Hades Canyon")." AMD, however, still hasn't commented on the story.

The marriage of Intel and AMD IPs in the form of the Kaby Lake-G processors was met with both surprised grunts from the company and a sense of bewilderment at what could come next. Well, we now know what came next: Intel hiring several high-level AMD employees on the graphics space and putting together its own motley crew of discrete GPU developers, who should be putting out Intel's next-gen high-performance graphics accelerators sometime next year.

The Kaby Lake-G processors, however, showed promise, pairing both Intel's (at the time) IPC dominance and AMD's graphics IP performance and expertise on a single package by placing the two components in the same substrate and connecting them via a PCIe link. A new and succinct Intel notice on the Kaby Lake-G page sets a last order time (January 31, 2020, as the last date for orders, and July 31, 2020, as the date of last shipments), and explains that product market shifts have moved demand from Kaby Lake-G products "to other Intel products". Uptake was always slow on this particular collaboration - most of it, we'd guess, because of the chips' strange footprint arrangement for embedding in systems, which required custom solutions that had to be designed from scratch. And with Intel investing into their own high-performance graphics, it seems clear that there is just no need to flaunt their previous collaborations with other companies in this field. Farewell, Intel-AMD Kaby Lake-G. We barely knew you.

Chromebooks are all the rage right now. As a matter of fact, Acer recently released the first convertible Chromebook and a couple of other premium models aimed at business users. Google isn't staying behind either. A device under the codename "Kidd" was recently discovered in a Chromium OS code commit. Kidd is allegedly supposed to be a Chromebook, and the first to come with a quad-core Kaby Lake G processor with AMD Radeon Vega graphics inside. The Kaby Lake G family is comprised of the Intel Core i5-8305G, i7-8705G, i7-8706G, i7-8709G, and i7-8809G. That's a total of five processors for Google to choose from. But, at the moment, it's unclear whether Kidd will employ a 65 watt model or opt for a more powerful 100 watt variant.

The latest Chrome OS update brought support for Linux applications. Therefore, users can now install Steam on their Chromebooks. While GPU acceleration isn't quite there yet, it's on the roadmap. Support for GPU acceleration should arrive later this year. Once that happens, users will finally be able to game on the Chrome OS. So, expect to see a lot more Chromebooks with Raven Ridge and Kaby Lake G processors very soon.

Chinese tablet and laptop manufacturer Chuwi is working on their HiGame mini gaming PC to rival Intel's latest Hades Canyon NUC. The Chuwi HiGame incorporates an Intel Core i5-8305G quad-core processor with AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics, 8 GB of DDR4 memory, and a 128 GB SSD. Nevertheless, the HiGame has good upgradability. There are two SODIMM DDR4 memory slots, a M.2 PCIe x4 SSD slot, and a 2.5-inch SATA III drive bay onboard so consumers can potentially upgrade the memory to 32 GB and slap an ultra-fast M.2 PCIe SSD into this miniature monster. In terms of size, the HiGame measures 173 mm x 158 mm x 73 mm, which makes it just a tad shorter but fatter than the Hades Canyon NUC.

Unlike Intel's offering, Chuwi's HiGame maintains a more traditional PC look with a Thunderbolt 3 port and accompanying power button on the front. Connectivity won't be a problem on the HiGame as the mini-PC comes with a plethora of ports at the back. There are two HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPorts, a Gigabit ethernet port, five USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a microphone jack, and a headphone jack. While not visible to the naked eye, the Chuwi HiGame also features 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2. Chuwi hasn't announced the pricing for the HiGame yet. However, the Chinese giant plans to launch their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the HiGame by the end of April. So keep an eye out for it.

The new XPS 15 2-in-1 laptops from Dell employ Intel's 8th generation 'Kaby Lake-G' processors with Radeon RX Vega M GL discrete graphics which features 4GB of HMB2 memory. The entry XPS model comes with an Intel Core i5-8305G processor, 8GB of DDR4-2400MHz memory, and a 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD for storage. It also sports a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge anti-reflective touch display with support for Dells' Active Pen Stylus and a full-size, backlit MagLev keyboard. The Intel Core i5-8305G model starts at $1,499.99. The higher-end models, on the other hand, use the more powerful Intel Core i7-8705G processor while conserving the exact FHD display and MagLev keyboard. A 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD serves as the primary storage across all models. The Intel Core i7-8705G with 8GB of memory starts at $1,699.99 and the 16GB variant at $1,799.99. And lastly, the XPS 15 with an Intel Core i7-8705G processor, 16GB of memory, and a 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) goes for $2,199.99.

Dell consistently listed the XPS 15's memory as 'integrated'. After browsing through the service manual, we didn't find a section on replacing or upgrading the memory. Therefore, it's safe to say that the XPS 15 (9575) comes with memory soldered to the PCB. This shouldn't be a let down for most consumers as 16GB of RAM is more than sufficient by today's standards. However, prosumers might want to hold off for now until a 32GB SKU is released.

Intel's upcoming "Hades Canyon" NUC, the spiritual successor to the company's "Skull Canyon" NUC; will be one of the first commercial implementations of the "Kaby Lake-G" multi-chip module, which puts an AMD Radeon Vega M graphics part and a quad-core "Kaby Lake" die together on a package, along with 4 GB of HBM2 memory for the GPU, when they start shipping in Spring 2018, priced between $799-$999. Korean tech publication Playwares got its hands on one of these, and its testing suggests that it achieves the key design goal of Kaby Lake-G: to be able to play any of today's games at 1080p (with acceptable levels of eye-candy.)

Playwares put "Hades Canyon" through three of today's AAA game titles that take advantage of DirectX 12: "Rise of the Tomb Raider," "Tom Clancy's The Division," and "Total War: Warhammer 2." At default clocks, and 1080p resolution, "Rise of the Tomb Raider" puts out around 53 fps, with 45.36 fps (minimum, 99th percentile). When overclocked, the chip averages 59.11 fps, with 50.5 fps (minimum, 99th percentile). "The Division" averages 41.5 fps at default clocks, and 46.8 fps when overclocked. "Warhammer 2" is a lot more taxing on the chip - 27.3 fps average and 23 fps minimum at default clocks, and 30.1 average with 26 fps minimum, when overclocked. One has to take into account that the "Vega M" chip on the Core i7-8709G is significantly more powerful than the iGPU of AMD's Ryzen "Raven Ridge" APUs - 1536 stream processors, 96 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 1024-bit HBM2 memory; versus 704 stream processors, 44 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and system memory share.

Ahead of its Q1-2018 launch after a CES reveal, Intel's Core i7-8709G multi-chip module (MCM) was picked up by Thai PC enthusiast and tech vlogger "TUM APISAK," revealing some of its first specifications as read by Futuremark SystemInfo, a hardware-detection component common to various Futuremark benchmark suites. The "Kaby Lake-G" MCM combines a quad-core "Kaby Lake" CPU die with an AMD Radeon "Vega M" graphics die that has a dedicated HBM2 memory stack on-package.

Futuremark SystemInfo puts out quite a few specs of the i7-8709G, beginning with its 4-core/8-thread CPU based on the "Kaby Lake" micro-architecture, which is clocked at 3.10 GHz with 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost; Radeon RX Vega M (694C:C0) graphics core with 4 GB of HBM2 memory across a 1024-bit memory bus; with its GPU engine running at 1.19 GHz, and memory at 800 MHz (204.8 GB/s memory bandwidth); although the core-config of the iGPU remains a mystery. We recommend you maximize the video below for legible details.