Despite recent whispers of TSMC losing a key 4 nm node process customer, industry analysts reckon that Taiwan's premier foundry business will remain in a comfortable leading position for the foreseeable future. "Optimistic" expert opinion points to "revenue growth for supply chain players," driven by the rapid progress of the firm's 2 nm manufacturing prowess. Naturally, their cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities—supposedly bolstered by GAAFET—are being tracked with keen interest. According to a fairly fresh Ctee Taiwan news piece, the usual big players are reportedly queued up and present within factory order books. The likes of Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, MediaTek and Broadcom are mentioned. Mid-way through last month, Team Red officially announced a big collaborative milestone: "(our) next-generation AMD EPYC processor—codenamed "Venice"—is the first HPC product in the industry to be taped out and brought up on the TSMC advanced 2 nm (N2) process technology."

Ctee's report cites recent statements by C. C. Wei. Apparently, the TSMC CEO has stressed (on multiple occasions) that there is "unprecedented" demand for his company's 2 nm production pipelines—far exceeding previous levels for 3 nm. In addition, TSMC reps—who are currently touring the States; hosting technology symposiums—have revealed 2 nm (N2) defect density trends. Ctee outlined these intriguing details: "(N2's) defect density (D0) performance is comparable to that of the 5 nm family, and even surpasses the 7 nm and 3 nm processes of the same period, making it one of the most technologically mature advanced nodes." Wei's foundry team seems to be well ahead of main competition; insiders reckon that alleged equipment upgrades signal a push into 1.4 nm territories. Crucially, mass production of 2 nm (N2) wafers is expected to begin later this year—a cross-facility push was uttered by industry moles.

With the rapid advancement of gaming laptop performance, more users are turning to notebooks for demanding tasks like AAA gaming, video editing, and streaming. Brook proudly introduces the Saviortop Gaming Laptop Cooler—a gaming-focused cooling solution designed to unlock the full potential of entry- to mid-tier gaming laptops. This external laptop cooling pad not only stabilizes system performance but also helps prolong device life and eliminate gameplay disruptions caused by heat.

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The Saviortop laptop fan is equipped with a high-speed 3500 RPM turbofan and Brook's exclusive memory foam airflow sealing ring. This unique structure increases airflow pressure and locks the airflow path directly onto the laptop's thermal output zones. In real-world tests, the Saviortop reduces CPU/GPU temperatures by up to 20°C, keeping frame rates stable and gameplay smooth even under maximum load.

Last week, GIGABYTE issued an official response to an initial case of "thermal conductive gel slippage," involving an ultra-expensive AORUS GeForce RTX 5080 MASTER ICE, a vertical-mounted graphics card setup, and very non-intensive MMO gaming sessions. The Taiwanese manufacturer believes that this problem is isolated within a first wave of products: "every graphics card is inspected and verified against our quality standards before leaving the factory. The thermal conductive gel is an insulating, deformable, putty-like compound. It is engineered to remain in place when applied properly, and can endure at least 150 °C before any melting or liquification could happen. In some early production batches for the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 50 Series, a slightly higher volume of gel was applied to ensure sufficient thermal coverage. The overapplication may cause the excessive gel to appear more prominent, extended, and could potentially be separated from the designated area. While the appearance of extra gel might be concerning, this cosmetic variance does not affect the card's performance, reliability, or lifespan. We had already inspected the issue, and adjusted the gel to the optimal amount in (subsequent) production runs."

Despite sending out a public assurance to a worried audience—"(we) take your concerns seriously and want to provide clear information"—GIGABYTE will not be recalling problematic products. VideoCardz reckons that the company is "downplaying" current conditions. Based on further evidence—shared by several members of the TechPowerUp forum (commenting on news coverage)—unfortunately, the first reported case (emerging from South Korea) was not an isolated incident. Given the contents of GIGABYTE's public bulletin, they seem to be aware that this special thermal material (reserved for fancier SKUs) is troubling owners of early batch "GeForce RTX 50 Series and Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards." TPU forumite, remekra, shared two images and the following bit of feedback (plus a warning): "I have mine mounted in Lian Li SUP01 case, so GPU is basically standing that's why it drips into the direction of ports. So far it does not overheat on memory modules. I will hold off sending it to GIGABYTE customer service, as I don't have good memories of them; so until it overheats or stops working I will use it. But if you have a vertical case or stand then be aware."

The global semiconductor industry is experiencing notable shifts, largely influenced by the rapid expansion of the Mainland China market. From 2010 to 2024, China's share of global semiconductor equipment sales rose significantly, from just 6% in 2010 to 38% in 2024. On the other side McKinsey reports that market shares in Taiwan, Korea and Japan are declining. Taiwan has started to build semiconductor fabs in the US and Europe, while Japan has seen few new fab projects despite TSMC's upcoming Kumamoto plant. At the same time, the US and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have kept their market shares steady.

Globalization helped the semiconductor industry grow from 2010 to 2019, during this time Chinese semiconductor companies expanded, with local firms growing by about 21% each year. But growth slowed from 2019 to 2023 because of US sanctions on Huawei which affected its chip division HiSilicon. Even without HiSilicon, China's semiconductor industry still grew by 9-10% in that period. Experts think this growth will continue in the future, a trend that the current US tariffs are only accentuating. China's growing importance in industries like electric vehicles (EVs) and commercial drones is pushing its semiconductor goals even further. In 2023, China accounted for 60% of all new EV registrations around the world. At the same time, political tensions between countries have made China more eager to build a self-reliant domestic semiconductor ecosystem. China is testing a domestic extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system at Huawei's Dongguan facility. The system uses laser-induced discharge plasma technology and is scheduled for trial production in Q3 2025, with mass manufacturing planned for 2026.

The Trump administration is preparing substantial changes to the Biden-era Framework for AI Diffusion controlling advanced semiconductor exports. Sources close to the Reuters indicate officials will replace the current three-tier country classification with a unified government-to-government licensing system requiring bilateral approval for US chip acquisitions. The existing framework, implemented in January 2025, permits unrestricted exports to 17 allied nations plus Taiwan, imposes volume caps on roughly 120 countries and blocks shipments to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Current regulations exempt orders below 1,700 NVIDIA H100 equivalent units from full licensing requirements, needing only a notification.

Former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, acting as an informal adviser, verified that bilateral government agreements are under review. Officials are also considering reducing the notification threshold from 1,700 to approximately 500 H100 equivalents to address circumvention concerns. The proposal has drawn criticism from industry figures, including Oracle Executive VP Ken Glueck and a coalition of seven Republican senators who have urged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to withdraw the existing framework entirely. The administration faces pressure to finalize regulations before the May 15 compliance deadline, balancing security objectives with trade considerations. An announcement is expected before the month's end.

As disclosed in a new press release—issued by the US Commerce Department—TSMC's North American operation has started another expansion. Last month, Taiwan's leading chip foundry committed a substantial $100 billion investment—eventually leading to a greater production footprint in Phoenix, Arizona. Reports suggest that ground has already been broken, in a low-key manner—as of yesterday (April 29)—at a planned third location, only hours after TSMC's receiving of permits—aka a "thumbs up" from the US government. According to local news outlets, key administrative representatives were in attendance to witness the initiation of construction work. TSMC's third plant is destined to pump out cutting-edge products via a 2 nm (N2) process technology, with Apple, NVIDIA and AMD confirmed as "front of the queue" customers. Despite recent fanfare and celebrations, industry analysts reckon that it will take up to a decade for the foundry's North American operation to solidify a dependable supply chain. In the interim, certain elements will require shipping to overseas locations—for packaging and finalization purposes.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, announces the launch of the AI TOP 100 Z890, a desktop PC tailored for both gaming and AI computing, now available in the US and Canadian markets. Designed to deliver extreme performance, the AI TOP 100 Z890 is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, the Z890 AI TOP motherboard, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, optimizing for AI workloads and high-performance gaming. Combined with the pre-installed Windows 11 operating system, users can access AI computing with a standard power setup and plug-and-play convenience.

At the core of the AI TOP 100 Z890 is an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU featuring built-in AI Boost NPU, paired with D5 Bionic Corsa technology-enhanced GIGABYTE 128 GB DDR5 memory, and the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5090 WINDFORCE graphics card that supports NVIDIA DLSS 4.0 and Multi Frame Generation. The system also includes an ultra-fast AORUS Gen 4 7300 SSD and a GIGABYTE 320 GB AI TOP 100E cache drive offering up to 150x TBW compared to standard SSDs and ideal for high-volume data training. The cooling system plays a crucial role under heavy workloads, while the AORUS WATERFORCE II 360 liquid cooler and AORUS AC500G ST AI TOP chassis offer stable operation even under intensive loads.

Insider whispers regarding AMD's plans for not-yet-official Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards have floated a possible introduction on May 18, as well as a speculated early June retail launch. These leaked timeframes seem to hinge on something happening at next month's Computex 2025 trade show—similarly, NVIDIA could be readying competing products. BenchLife.info has disclosed inside track information from both camps—their report outlined vaguely refreshed conditions: "the entire 'Blackwell' gaming GPU range is expected to include an (unannounced) GeForce RTX 5050, but this particular graphics card has not yet been confirmed by NVIDIA. After the launch of Team Green's GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB model, AMD is also expected to launch the Radeon RX 9060 XT series graphics cards on May 21, but the finalized stock may not appear for sale until June."

Yesterday, Team Red and involved board partners surprised many industry watchdogs—up until very recently, the Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB model's release status was in flux. VideoCardz believes that misleading information was deliberately sent out to moles and leakers. As correctly theorized by certain outlets, AMD will launch this (RDNA 4) generation's "Great Radeon Edition" card well in advance of lower end options. The aforementioned (alleged) May 21 introduction of Radeon RX 9060 XT cards aligns with AMD's scheduled Tuesday morning press conference. A few days ago, a smattering of news articles indicated the cancelation of Team Red's Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB variant—VideoCardz cannot verify this claim. Instead, they reckon that the 16 GB model will be prioritized; in terms of day zero/one media coverage.

According to reports in the Taiwan media, TSMC's suppliers have stated that they are willing to accompany TSMC on its expansion in the US. This comes on the back of TSMC's pledge in March to invest US$100 billion in Arizona where its current fabs are located. However, due to TSMC's currently limited production quantities in the US there's little incentive for these companies to set up branch offices in the US, even taking the tariffs into account. In other words, it might take up to a decade before TSMC has a comparable supply chain in the US, to that it has in Taiwan and China today.

The Taiwan government has discussed the matter with various chemical suppliers and the conclusion was that TSMC's production volumes at the moment don't warrant the costs of setting up a local supply chain and that it's likely to take seven to eight years for them to be fully established in the US from the get-go. On the other hand, if TSMC's volumes reach the proposed levels that the company has outlined in its fab roadmaps, we're likely to see most of its supply chain partners setting up business in the US. This also suggests that TSMC might not have bothered with approaching Intel's suppliers, which is somewhat surprising, as many of them ought to be able to provide similar chemicals and materials as TSMC's suppliers in Taiwan offer the company. It's also possible that Intel's suppliers haven't provided pricing that TSMC finds competitive enough. Regardless, at some point in the future, there's likely to be more competition when it comes to semiconductor production materials suppliers, assuming TSMC expands its fabs according to plan.

MediaTek CEO Dr. Rick Tsai will deliver a keynote speech at COMPUTEX 2025. The presentation will highlight MediaTek's AI vision—from edge to cloud—and how the company is driving AI innovation. It will also explore the evolution of next-generation connectivity and reveal how cutting-edge, power-efficient, high-performance chips are shaping the future. The keynote will take place on opening day, May 20 at 11:00 AM (UTC+8), at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2, 7F. As a global leader in semiconductor technology and AI computing, MediaTek continues to drive innovation across devices, smart homes, automotive electronics, IoT, and data center technologies. At COMPUTEX 2025, MediaTek CEO Dr. Rick Tsai will outline MediaTek's vision for AI computing from edge to cloud, explore the evolution of next-generation connectivity, and discuss how high-performance, power-efficient chipsets are shaping our future.

Dr. Tsai brings extensive leadership experience in the semiconductor and technology industries. Under his leadership, MediaTek has further strengthened its position as a leading innovator of advanced chip solutions, maintaining a leading position in the global mobile chipset market and driving progress in the entire portfolio of technology platforms. Demonstrate how MediaTek's vision to empower a connected, intelligent world for everyone.

As revealed during a recent Q1 earnings call, Intel leadership mentioned that "external clients are getting their ASICs designs tested." The company's foundry business is working towards the finalization of its much discussed 18A node process, with alleged trial samples receiving an "impressive performance rating." According to Ctee Taiwan, Team Blue's foundry service has submitted test subjects to the likes of NVIDIA, Broadcom and Faraday Technology. The latter organization has (reportedly) disclosed that the 18A platform tape-out was completed last October—since then, received samples have been "successfully connected." Industry moles believe that NVIDIA and Broadcom are in the middle of conducting manufacturing tests. Additional whispers suggest the delivery of 18A prototypes chez IBM and several other unnamed partner companies. Insiders have indicated impressive/good "verification results." Contrary to reports from other sources, Ctee has picked up on insider chatter about Intel's next-gen Nova Lake compute tile design being "not entirely outsourced." Further conjecture points to Team Blue becoming increasingly confident in its own manufacturing techniques.

MSI, a leading global provider of high-performance server solutions, is bringing AI-driven innovation to Japan IT Week Spring 2025 at Booth #21-2 with high-performance server platforms built for next-generation AI and cloud computing workloads. MSI's NVIDIA MGX AI Servers deliver modular GPU-accelerated computing to optimize AI training and inference, while the Core Compute line of Multi-Node Servers maximize compute density and efficiency for AI inference and cloud service provider workloads. MSI's Open Compute line of ORv3 Servers enhance scalability and thermal efficiency in hyperscale AI deployments. MSI's Enterprise Servers provide balanced compute, storage, and networking for seamless AI workloads across cloud and edge. With deep expertise in system integration and AI-driven infrastructure, MSI is advancing the next generation of intelligent computing solutions to power AI's next leap.

"AI's advancement hinges on performance efficiency, compute density, and workload scalability. MSI's server platforms are engineered to accelerate model training, optimize inference, and maximize resource utilization—ensuring enterprises have the processing power to turn AI potential into real-world impact," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of MSI Enterprise Platform Solutions.

AMD today announced that it will be hosting a press conference during Computex 2025. The in-person and livestreamed press conference will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 11 a.m. UTC+8, Taipei, at the Grand Hyatt, Taipei. The event will showcase the advancements AMD has driven with AI in gaming, PCs and professional workloads.

AMD senior vice president and general manager of the Computing and Graphics Group Jack Huynh, along with industry partners, will discuss how AMD is expanding its leadership across gaming, workstations, and AI PCs, and highlight the breadth of the company's high-performance computing and AI product portfolio. The livestream will start at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 20 on AMD.com, with replay available after the conclusion of the livestream event.

Not long after Intel's launch of the Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" B580 12 GB graphics card design, insiders started generating noise about potential spin-offs bound for release in 2025. In theory, the speculated "B580 24 GB" variant could arrive as a workstation-oriented discrete graphics solution—possibly lined up as a next-gen entry within Team Blue's Arc Pro family. Three mysterious BMG (aka "Battlemage") PCI identifiers turned up at the end of January; sending online PC hardware debates into overdrive; one faction believed that Team Blue was readying fabled productivity-focused B-series cards—complete with enlarged pools of GDDR6 VRAM. Apparently, Sparkle's Chinese branch has provided comment on newer rumors—from March, according to VideoCardz. The Taiwanese manufacturer is a key Intel board partner in the field of Arc GPU-based graphics card products—across gaming and professional desktop lines. Unfortunately, the company's head office (in Taiwan) has dismissed "official" claims about a May/June launch of an unnamed 24 GB model. Sparkle's Chinese social media account engaged with members of the PC hardware community, and outlined an "original plan" to release something new within the second quarter of 2025—apparently the incoming card is "still being arranged."

Acer seems to be readying premium tier Radeon RX 9070 XT OC graphics card models for an imminent launch. The brand's Swedish office has sent out mixed messages—as noted by VideoCardz's past weekend coverage—regarding their incoming non-overclocked Nitro SKU. Gaming GPU enthusiasts have often complained about AMD's overcomplicated model nomenclature—in particular, the company's XT, XTX and GRE attachments have caused uncountable headaches. Quite amusingly, Acer Sweden's marketing team got bamboozled by Team Red's model labelling scheme—as evidenced by their recent advertising of a "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 GRE XT 16 Gbit/s graphics card."

VideoCardz reckons that no such SKU exists; employees have rectified this mistake—at the time of writing, Acer Sweden's product page showcases a corrected designation: "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB graphics card." According to industry moles, AMD and its board partners are working on RDNA 4 generation "Great Radeon Edition" (GRE) cards. Late last week, VideoCardz acquired an alleged Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB specification sheet. Team Red and AIBs seem to be devising a forthcoming retail release in China; possibly by next month. Acer Sweden's inadvertent/bungled leak suggests that GRE-related info is present within internal promo material.

EK, renowned for its premium liquid cooling solutions and now managed by LM TEK, is set to present its latest innovations at COMPUTEX Taipei 2025. From May 20 to 23, attendees can visit LM TEK at Booth M1419, Hall 1 (4F), TaiNEX 1, to explore cutting-edge cooling technologies designed to meet the demands of next-generation AI computing. As artificial intelligence and high-performance computing continue to evolve, the need for efficient thermal management becomes increasingly critical. EK's newest solutions address these challenges head-on, offering advanced liquid cooling systems that elevate performance, ensure system stability, and meet the rigorous demands of modern AI workloads. This year's COMPUTEX will serve as a platform for EK to showcase how its innovative hardware—engineered for data centers, AI development platforms, and high-performance workstations—can help reshape the future of computing.

Want to know what's coming?
Visit our EK COMPUTEX 2025 page, where we will be revealing newly released products, exclusive launches, and spotlighting key partner projects on display at the show. Under the management of LM TEK, EK continues to push the boundaries of thermal management technology. This transition brings enhanced operational agility and a sharper focus on customer needs, while maintaining the trusted EK quality and design excellence. Visitors to the EK booth will have the opportunity to explore the latest liquid cooling solutions, meet the team, and discuss how EK technology can power next-gen AI innovation. Whether you're an industry professional, system integrator, or tech enthusiast, this is your chance to experience the future of liquid cooling—up close.

On the back of TSMC's first quarter report, news is coming out of Taiwan that the company is expecting to produce as much as a third of its sub 2 nm chips in its US fabs, at some point in the future. This is according to comments made by TSMC's chair and CEO C.C. Wei during its online investors conference. As we've already mentioned, TSMC is looking to expand in Arizona with a further two fabs later this year, both targeting sub 2 nm chip production, but the comments by the CEO suggests that these might be bigger fabs than initially expected, if they're going to be able to produce as much as a third of all of TSMC's sub 2 nm output by some time around the next decade.

Apparently the move to build the new fabs is due to increased demand from TSMC's US customers, which includes AMD, Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Broadcom, to mention its biggest US customers. It seems like those that are planning to produce chips at TSMC's new fabs in the US are accepting an increase in cost, although it has apparently been framed as a value proposition from TSMC's side towards its customers, which have accepted it as such. At the same time Wei once again refuted that TSMC is in any kind of talks with Intel or any other companies about joint ventures, technology licensing or technology transfer. This should put further rumours about any form of joint venture to rest for now.

The Taiwan media is reporting that Foxconn has been busy moving more and more of its production from China to India, with the main focus being on Apple's iPhone and iPad products for now. Foxconn has been producing iPhones for the Indian market in India since 2019, but the story here is that China has banned Foxconn from sending Chinese staff to India to train the local staff and oversee the production. This has resulted in Foxconn having to send staff from Taiwan to India instead, but they might not be as familiar with the entire production process as the ones that are based in the factories in China.

This is only part of the issue though, as the news reports are also mentioning that China is preventing Foxconn from sending machines and equipment needed for the production to India. The same issue is said to be affecting other Taiwanese companies that are moving some of their production out of China to India, but they've had no issues when it comes to sending equipment to other nations in South East Asia. The equipment is apparently not possible to produce locally in India either, which means that these companies are more or less being forced to keep their production in China. To work around this issue, Foxconn is said to be sending half-finished phones and components to India, to do the final assembly there, to keep up production in India. So far, this is just rumours out of Taiwan, but it looks like China is intent on keeping the production on its shores for as long as it can.

AMD has not publicly announced its Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB and 8 GB graphics cards, but board partners have inadvertently "revealed" the existence of forthcoming custom designs. Team Red's RDNA 4 kick-off events did tease a second quarter launch of a Radeon RX 9060 Series cards, but have remained coy since the conclusion of late February celebrations. Over a month ago, VideoCardz cited AIB insider knowledge—regarding early specification details. In this morning's follow-up report, unnamed board partner moles have theorized a possible public unveiling of Radeon RX 9060 XT models: at next month's Computex 2025 trade show. Industry watchdogs believe that Team Red's lower end RDNA 4 are specced to compete closely with Team Green's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti lineup. NVIDIA and involved AIBs are reportedly gearing up for a retail launch this week.

The latest leak suggests AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT design being readied—as standard—with (reference) game clock frequencies set at 2620 MHz, and boost clocks going up to 3230 MHz. In addition, VideoCardz has heard mutterings about "overclocked variants" boosting up to the 3.3 GHz mark. The much-rumored Navi 44 GPU die could sport 2048 stream processors—half of Navi 48's full SP count. Prior to this week, TechPowerUp's GPU database entry indicated the utilization of a speculative "Navi 48 LE" unit. Now amended, the Radeon RX 9060 XT listing mentions a tentative "Navi 44 XT" variant. Leaked guideline info allegedly specifies 500 W power supplies, as minimum requirements for incoming cards. A 550 W base level could be advised for overclocked/overengineered models. VideoCardz did not see any 16-pin power connected SKUs within leaked material; "most specs" feature 8-pin power connectors.

High-performance GPUs manufactured in Taiwan could now enter the US market tariff-free through a technical loophole in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), found by a research firm SemiAnalysis. Companies can route Taiwan-made GPUs through assembly facilities in Mexico and Canada, effectively circumventing the 32% import duty that would otherwise apply to direct shipments from Taiwan. The exemption hinges on a Most-Favored-Nation clause within the USMCA framework that specifically classifies digital processing units (HTS 8471.50), automatic data processing machine units (HTS 8471.80), and their associated components (HTS 8473.30) as "originating goods." This classification applies regardless of manufacturing origin, creating a duty-free pathway for NVIDIA HGX boards, GB200 baseboards, and RTX GPU cards that undergo final assembly in North American facilities.

The strategy capitalizes on two complementary policy mechanisms. First, President Trump's March 7 executive orders maintained existing USMCA exemptions, preserving the duty-free status for compliant goods from Canada and Mexico. Second, the USMCA's expanded definition of originating products creates a classification framework that treats assembled servers and related components as North American products despite their core manufacturing in Taiwan. For US technology firms, the additional logistical complexity of cross-border assembly operations is offset by eliminating substantial import duties on these high-value components. This practice mirrors established protocols in agricultural imports, where products like Mexican avocados gain preferential treatment under similar origin rules. The global supply chain is adapting quickly, especially in high-margin areas like GPUs, which power AI workloads. We are yet to see how companies set up manufacturing and logistics in the new era of tariff-driven narrative.

MediaTek today announced the Dimensity 9400+ SoC, the latest addition to MediaTek's Dimensity flagship chipset family. Providing exceptional Generative and agentic AI capabilities as well as other performance enhancements, the Dimensity 9400+ supports the latest Large Language Models (LLM) while sustaining a super power-efficient design. The Dimensity 9400+ features an All Big Core design, integrating one Arm Cortex-X925 core operating up to 3.73 GHz, combined with 3x Cortex-X4 and 4x Cortex-A720 cores. This powerful configuration accelerates single and multithreaded performance for top-tier Android UX experiences.

"The MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ will make it easier to deliver innovative, personalized AI experiences on-device, combined with enhanced overall performance to ensure your device can handle all tasks with ease," said JC Hsu, Corporate Senior Vice President at MediaTek. "We are working closely with developers and manufacturers to continue building a robust ecosystem of AI applications and other features that will bring a number of speed and privacy benefits to consumers."

A fresh leak suggests that MSI is "all in" with its upcoming rollout of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB custom card lineup. Earlier today, I_Leak_VN uploaded a fuzzy list of nine unannounced models to social media. By some undisclosed means, the reliable Vietnamese tracker of inside info had acquired a pre-launch chart of VANGUARD, GAMING TRIO, INSPIRE, VENTUS and SHADOW options—mostly in factory overclocked forms. Late last week, GIGABYTE—another Taiwanese manufacturer—registered a wide variety of competing 16 GB VRAM-equipped offerings in South Korea. MSI's alleged card count is greater (9 vs. 7); having the advantage with four different VENTUS models.

Unlike its nearby rival, MSI has opted out of the AMD Radeon battle for this generation (RDNA 4). With full concentration on Team Green, the "Blackwell" GB206 GPU was seemingly deemed worthy of bearing the brand's premium VANGUARD cooling solution—as implied by a headlining position on I_Leak_VN's screenshot. Sitting at the bottom is MSI's barebones SHADOW 2X design; we do not know whether a new entrant will reuse the exact same dinky enclosure that is present on their GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 2X cards (standard and OC). Visual confirmation is expected to arrive next week; industry insiders believe that global retail stock will appear on April 16.

According to reports from last year, Xiaomi was expected to unveil an oft-rumored proprietary mobile chipset design at some point in 2025. By October 2024, the Chinese technology giant allegedly reached the tape-out phase of its first 3 nm SoC—at the time, insiders posited that Xiaomi was seeking a manufacturing partner. Months earlier, a prototype design was linked to TSMC's 4 nm "N4P" node process—this rumor raised many smartphone watchdog eyebrows. Unlike many other Chinese firms, Xiaomi was reportedly allowed to select a fairly advanced manufacturing process at Taiwan's premier foundry service. In a past weekend news article, Wccftech outlined interesting circumstances: "(US) export controls have yet to affect Xiaomi, which is supposedly on track to launch its first in-house chipset later this year. However, while we reported last year that the company was scheduled to unveil its custom 3 nm SoC in 2025, we were disappointed to learn just the specifications of this version that will utilize TSMC's 'N4P' process. According to more details, this silicon will not sport any homegrown cores like Qualcomm has adopted for the Snapdragon 8 Elite."

Late last week, Jukanlosreve highlighted another leaker's prediction—regarding the technological foundations of Xiaomi's mystery flagship mobile processor. Fixed Focus Digital's Weibo post mentioned the "N4P" node, as well the utilization of current generation Arm Cortex-X925, Cortex-A725 and Cortex-A520 units. A speculated Imagination Technologies "IMG DXT 72-2304" integrated graphics solution is touted to outperform Qualcomm's Adreno 740 iGPU; as featured in their Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (2022) SoC. As highlighted by Wccftech's report, one of the publication's associates has deemed Fixed Focus Digital to be an unreliable source of inside track info. In response to Jukanlosreve's tweeted question, Mochamad Farido Fanani opined: "that's right, how does Xiaomi use N4P in its new chipset? But this guy always guesses blindly." Older leaks—based on "N4P" rumors—projected performance levels roughly on par with Qualcomm's first generation Snapdragon 8 chip. This model was introduced at the tail end of 2021.

Framework, the maker of modular laptops, has temporarily halted sales of specific models in the US due to newly imposed tariffs. The move affects the Laptop 13 configurations. The company shared its decision through the official X account: "Due to the new tariffs that came into effect on April 5th, we're temporarily pausing US sales on a few base Framework Laptop 13 systems (Ultra 5 125H and Ryzen 5 7640U). For now, these models will be removed from our US site. We will continue to provide updates as we have them." The tariff adjustment, which raises import duties on goods from Taiwan to 10 percent, directly impacts Framework's cost structure. Originally priced assuming a zero percent tariff rate, the affected devices would now incur losses if sold at current pricing due to the zero-tariff situation in the past. In a detailed follow-up, Framework noted that other consumer electronics firms have undertaken similar recalculations, though few have publicly acknowledged their course of action.

Currently, the Ultra 5 125H model has already been removed from Framework's online store. Other models, such as the Ultra 7 155H and Ultra 7 165H, are for now discounted by up to eight percent, suggesting a temporary price adjustment strategy rather than a complete market withdrawal. Higher end AMD Ryzen 7 7840U SKUs are discounted by 10% and 12%, which is interesting. Framework's situation is just a part of the shift happening across industries triggered by the US administration's recent tariff changes. While Framework's statement leaves the possibility of resumed US sales open, no timeline has been provided. The consequences of the tariff shift are still unfolding across global supply chains.

While semiconductors are exempt (for now at least) from Trump's tariffs, other components going into our PCs are not. According to Tom's Hardware, which spoke to multiple system integrators, tariffs are about to hike PC costs by at least 20%, with system integrators hurt the most. The tariff package imposes a 54% rate on Chinese goods, 34% on top of earlier tariffs, and significant duties on Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam products. These countries supply essential PC components such as SSDs, RAM, cases, and graphics cards. Wallace Santos, CEO of Maingear, highlighted the immediate effects on production: "Tariffs have a direct impact on our cost structure… which we have to pass down to our customers." He further explained that some suppliers have halted production in China, leading to scarcity and escalating costs. Santos estimates that prices for his PCs will rise "20 to 25% as a result of the tariffs."

Other company leaders express concern over the limited alternatives available. Kelt Reeves, CEO of Falcon Northwest, stated, "Sadly the overwhelming majority of PC component manufacturing is not done in the US and never has been. There's no US alternative supplier for most PC parts." Reeves added that even US-based system integrators are "facing skyrocketing costs" due to the tariffs, which are set to worsen an already challenging market situation caused by ongoing GPU shortages. Jon Bach, CEO of Puget Systems, shared his perspective in a recent blog post, noting that his company might absorb some costs to minimize consumer price increases. However, even before the latest tariff updates, Bach predicted a price rise of "20 to 45 percent by June." Critics of the tariffs warn of broader economic issues. Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, condemned the policy as "massive tax hikes on Americans that will drive inflation, kill jobs on Main Street, and may cause a recession for the US economy." With these tariffs taking effect, the PC industry faces a period of adjustment marked by increased costs and significant supply chain challenges.