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Found in Linux drivers. uture AMD processors could be coming with USB4 support and DisplayPort tunneling sometime soon. According to Phoronix, AMD Linux driver engineers are working on a new AMDGPU kernel graphics driver featuring initial support for USB4 DisplayPort tunneling technology. We don't know exactly what architecture will come with USB4, however, rumors are floating around that AMD's Ryzen 6000 series APUs codenamed "Yellow Carp" and "Rembrandt" could feature USB4 connectivity. If so, then AMD will likely be targeting laptops for USB4 adoption first before bringing it over to desktop Ryzen-based CPUs and Radeon RDNA-based graphics cards. Tunneling is a new feature introduced to USB4 that comes from the port's Thunderbolt 3 integration. Tunneling allows multiple protocols, including USB, DisplayPort and PCIe, to all operate at the same time (albeit with reduced bandwidth per protocol). This is different from USB alt mode, which allows only a single protocol to be active at a time. Alt mode can still be useful if you need all of your USB bandwidth targeted towards one protocol, however, tunneling could prove to be more advantageous when you don't need all bandwidth targeted towards one connection (like a USB dock with multiple ports). The new AMDGPU kernel graphics driver is almost ready to be delivered to the public, and according to Phoronix, could be ready in time for Linux 5.16. This could very well mean that AMD is preparing USB 4 support for its next generation of CPUs or GPUs.

New fab will go to Europe instead Intel boss Pat Gelsinger has announced in an interview with the BBC that a potential new chip fab will no longer be built in Britain citing Brexit as the reason for the decision. Instead it looks as though a European country will host Intel's fab. Before the United Kingdom made its decision to exit the European Union by a tiny margin in a 2016 referendum, it "would have been a site that we would have considered,” according to Gelsinger. “Post-Brexit,” he added, “we now have about 70 proposals for sites across Europe from maybe 10 different countries. We're hopeful that we'll get to agreement on a site, as well as support from the EU... before the end of this year." Intel’s interest in building a new plant has only strengthened following the worldwide chip shortage that has seen prices pushed up for products such as GPUs and processors used in new cars. The US firm hopes to invest $95bn (£70bn) on new and upgraded chip plants in Europe over the next ten years. "Just everything is short right now. And even as I and my peers in the industry are working like crazy to catch up, it's going to be a while," Gelsinger said. That spending matches that of Intel’s rivals in the chip-fabrication market, with Taiwan-based TSMC, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of microchips, spending $100bn over three years, and Samsung putting $205bn into its own semiconductor plants. Intel currently outsources some of its chip manufacturing, but hopes to take it in-house with the development of new plants. "It is clearly part of the motivation of a globally balanced supply chain that nobody should be too dependent on somebody else," Gelsinger told the BBC.

Cheap Xbox Series X|S storage upgrades possible with conversion adapter. A Chinese company has released a conversion adapter that lets you install select M.2-2230 SSDs into the Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S game console expansion slots, reports Hermitage Akihabara. The tiny device enables cheap storage upgrades for Microsoft's latest gaming machines and breaks Seagate's monopoly on Xbox Series X and S storage expansion cards. Sintech's DIY CFexpress Card PA-CFEM2-C conversion adapter can house an M.2-2230 NVMe SSD and connect it to a CFexpress Type-B interface. The unit is marketed specifically for Microsoft's latest game consoles. However, you can also use it to make your own CFexpress Type-B card for use with professional DSLR cameras and appropriate card readers. The adapter costs $29.99. The adaptor has a major limitation, though. While it can house any short M.2-2230 drive with a PCIe interface, the consoles are only compatible with select SSDs featuring a specific firmware and internal format. For example, Western Digital's WD Blue CH SN530 is naturally compatible with Microsoft's consoles, but the WD Blue PC SN530 is not. This could be why you can't use typical CFexpress 1.0 Type-B cards to expand the storage in Microsoft's consoles. Unfortunately, it's currently unclear how many SSDs are on the market that fit these specific requirements. Microsoft's latest Xbox Series X|S game consoles use proprietary storage expansion cards that come in CFexpress 1.0 Type-B form-factor and use two PCIe Gen4 lanes (as opposed to two PCIe Gen3 lanes mandated by the CFexpress 1.0 Type-B specification). Since these cards are currently only made by Seagate, they are quite expensive — they currently cost around $220 for a 1TB version. However, as proven by an enthusiast, it is possible to build an expansion drive for the latest Xboxes using a CFexpress to M.2-2230 adapter (which was designed to build higher-capacity storage devices for cameras) and a compatible SSD.

New info on the initial DDR5 offerings By now, it's common knowledge that Intel's 12th Generation Alder Lake will be the first mainstream processor platform to embrace DDR5 memory. The chipmaker (via momomo_us) has released a new document that lists the different DDR5-4800 memory modules that have been validated for its next-generation platform. Perhaps one of these models will land the first DDR5 spot on our best RAM list. Instead of validating the different DDR5 products itself, Intel delegated the arduous task to Advanced Validation Labs, Inc (AVL), a renowned specialist in testing and validating memory during the pre- or post-production phase. The company specifically concentrated on DDR5-4800 memory, which is the baseline standard for Alder Lake. These are non-ECC memory modules that stick to JEDEC's guidelines, including a 1.1V DRAM voltage and mediocre 40-39-39 timings. AVL tested memory modules from big-name vendors, such as SK hynix, Sasmsung, Micron, Crucial and Kingston. While the data rate remains the same for all the candidates, the capacities vary between 8GB and 32GB per memory module. According to the Intel document, DRAM manufacturers will start with 16-gigabit DDR5 RAM chips. so there's enough headroom to work up to the capacity that they want to offer for each individual memory module. Advertisement One of the novelties with DDR5 is the onboard voltage regulation, which is achieved by equipping the memory module with a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). As far as the initial DDR5 memory modules are concerned, they'll leverage a PMIC from Renesas. The document didn't specify the exact model of the PMIC. However, we think it might be the P8911, which is an optimized version of the P8900 that Renesas designed for server memory. SK hynix, Samsung and Micron are IC manufacturers, so naturally they'll utilize their own ICs in their DDR5 products. Kingston, on the other hand, will tap SK hynix for its ICs/ Meanwhile Crucial, which is Micron's consumer brand, will utilize the latter's ICs. If we look at the ICs, it would seem that SK hynix and Micron will be bringing their respective M-die and A-dies to DDR5. These scale good enough with higher voltages, but they aren't exactly recognized for operating with tight timings. That's where Samsung' B-die ICs excelled back in the DDR4 days. The document confirms that Samsung's DDR5 ICs are Revision B, so these should be B-die. If the DDR5 B-dies are anything like the previous DDR4 B-dies, they'll probably become the de facto ICs for overclockers again. Apparently, the recipe doesn't vary with 8GB and 16GB memory modules, regardless of the brand. The companies will stick with a single-rank design, 1Rx16 for 8GB and 1Rx8 for 16GB. In comparison, 16GB DDR4 used to be a guarantee for dual-rank in the beginning. Eventually, many memory brands have transitioned to a single-rank design thanks to the introduction of higher-density chips. With DDR5, however, 32GB memory modules are the only surefire ticket for a dual-rank (2Rx8) layout. Why does the above matter? Dual-rank memory is typically faster than single-rank memory, although not in all workloads. Both Intel's Core and AMD's Ryzen processors benefit from dual-rank memory, and tests have shown that four memory ranks is the ideal configuration for maximum performance. It remains to be seen whether Alder Lake favors the same setup, though.

Sneak peek at DDR5 overclocking Twitter user REHWK has shared a screenshot of Intel's unreleased Core i9-12900K alongside some pretty fast DDR5 memory. The 16-core hybrid chip will lead the charge for the chipmaker's 12th Generation Alder Lake army as it takes on the best CPUs. There isn't much to see from the processor side. The CPU-Z screenshot seemingly confirms that the Core i9-12900K is a 125W chip with a 30MB L3 cache. We've already know these specifications for some time now, but it's always good to get some confirmation. What's also evident from looking at the list of instruction sets is that Alder Lake lacks AVX-512 support. While the Golden Cove cores support AVX-512, the Gracemont cores don't. Therefore, Intel simply disabled the AVX-512 instruction set in the Golden Cove cores on Alder Lake to maintain uniform ISA support. Alder Lake arrives with native for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory formats. The default supported data rates are DDR4-3200 and DDR5-4800, respectively. Therefore, memory that abides by those specifications, including some of the best RAM, is practically plug-n-play on Intel's 600-series motherboards. The Core i9-12900K in question was tested on Gigabyte's forthcoming Z690 Aorus Tachyon motherboard with matching Gigabyte DDR5-4800 (GP-ARS32G62D5) memory. It's plausible that the screenshot is from an overclocker that's testing the boundaries of the DDR5 memory kit. Therefore, exotic cooling was probably used to push the memory to DDR5-8000. Natively, the DDR5 memory runs at DDR5-4800 with timings set to 42-39-39-77 at just 1.1V. There are two XMP 3.0 profiles for DDR5-6200. The one with relaxed timings configures the memory to 40-40-40-80 at 1.35V, while the one with optimized timings drops the timings to 38-38-38-76 but bumps the DRAM voltage to 1.5V. Apparently, the memory module also carries a third XMP 3.0 profile for DDR5-6400 with 42-42-42-84 timings, pulling 1.45V. With Rocket Lake, Intel introduced gear modes, similar to AMD's Infinity Fabric Clock (FCLK) for memory overclocking. In short, gear modes made it possible for the memory controller and memory frequency to run at different speeds. For example, Gear 1 maintains a 1:1 ratio, while Gear 2 cuts the memory controller's frequency down to half, achieving a 0.5:1 ratio. A recent patch to HWiNFO64 implies that Intel will implement the same gear modes in Alder Lake whereas a benchmark leak reveals a potential Gear 4 option to drop the memory controller down to a quarter of the memory frequency. The overclocker got the memory from DDR5-4800 to DDR5-8000, which represents an impressive 67% improvement. Obviously, the overclocker set the timings to 50-50-50-100. In the screenshot, the memory controller's clocked at 2,000 MHz whereas the memory's at 4,000 MHz. It is pretty remarkable that overclocker managed to hit DDR5-8000 in Gear 2 mode. Alder Lake has been rumored to launch on November 4, therefore, Intel's 600-series motherboards and DDR5 memory shouldn't be far behind. While DDR5 brings many improvements, it still remains to be seen just how much faster it is when compared to the best DDR4 RAM.

The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council released its first joint statement The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) released its first joint statement reaffirming its commitment to exploring solutions to large-scale issues such as the West's reliance on other regions for much of its tech supply chain. The council has a broad area of focus that covers everything from encouraging cross-Atlantic trade agreements to combating the climate crisis. That's where the "trade" part comes in. As for the "technology," well, the TTC's statement also revealed a wide variety of global problems it's going to explore on that front. Read: "We share a strong desire to drive the digital transformation that spurs trade and investment, benefits workers, protects the environment and climate, strengthens our technological and industrial leadership, sets high standards globally, boosts innovation, and protects and promotes critical and emerging technologies and infrastructure. We intend to cooperate on the development and deployment of new technologies in ways that reinforce our shared democratic values, including respect for universal human rights, advance our respective efforts to address the climate change crisis, and encourage compatible standards and regulations. We intend to cooperate to effectively address the misuse of technology, to protect our societies from information mani[CENSORED]tion and interference, promote secure and sustainable international digital connectivity, and support human rights defenders." Many of those goals are nebulous—there are many ways to use technology to "address the climate change crisis," for example, and "the misuse of technology" is such a broad statement that it borders on meaningless—but the TTC did identify a few specific tech-related problems it's planning to explore in the months ahead. The TTC started with AI technologies, which it said "can threaten our shared values and fundamental freedoms if they are not developed and deployed responsibly or if they are misused," so the council's members will "affirm their willingness and intention to develop and implement AI systems that are innovative and trustworthy and that respect universal human rights and shared democratic values." Next up: addressing the chip shortage. This has been a significant problem for nearly every industry on the planet, and the U.S. and EU have both explored ways of increasing domestic semiconductor production so they can reduce their reliance on Asia, which currently accounts for almost the entire market. Companies such as Intel and TSMC have also committed to building new fabs in the regions as a result. The TTC said the U.S. and EU were reaffirming their "commitment to building a partnership on the rebalancing of global supply chains in semiconductors with a view to enhancing respective security of supply as well as their respective capacity to design and produce semiconductors, especially, but not limited to, those with leading-edge capabilities." (Just in case anyone thought they'd stopped caring.) "This partnership should be balanced and of equal interest for both sides," the TTC said. "We underline the importance of working together to identify gaps in the semiconductor value chain, and strengthening our domestic semiconductor ecosystems." The council announced the formation of 10 working groups devoted to exploring specific areas of its stated mission, and of those, eight are directly tech-related. These range from the Technology Standards group "tasked to develop approaches for coordination and cooperation in critical and emerging technology standards including AI and other emerging technologies" to a new Export Controls group. More information about some of the TTC's specific concerns, particularly those involving AI and the semiconductor supply chain, is available via the joint statement. The U.S. Department of State has also published a fact sheet about the council, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has shared more information about its involvement with several of the working groups announced Wednesday as well.

Some manufacturing facilities will keep operating. China is the world's largest consumer of energy, as well as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. In a purported bid to limit energy carrier price surges and reduce its emissions, the Chinese government has temporarily shut down power to several major manufacturing hubs. The country also intends to temporarily suspend industrial electricity supply on a scheduled basis going forward. Such crackdowns will inevitably affect the global electronics supply chain as well as companies like Apple, Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Tesla. But some companies will be more severely affected than others. Want to Cut Emissions? Cut the Power Supply! Last week, China's President Xi Jinping said at the UN General Assembly that the country would not build a single new coal-fueled power plant going forward, would increase reliance on other energy sources, and would be carbon neutral by 2060. But as of 2019, around 64%-65% of the electricity in China came from coal, and prices of that industrial-era energy source are surging these days. To control CO2 emissions, the government of China demanded that Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces (where many high-tech producers are located) cut their total energy consumption. Since it's impossible to implement new energy-saving technologies or install new energy-efficient equipment quickly, local governments in several provinces plan to cut the electricity supply to industrial customers and malls for several days each month, according to a Nikkei report. While such draconian measures will inevitably reduce average emissions of carbon dioxide gas in China, they will also temporarily reduce the consumption of commodities like coal, oil, and natural gas, which might affect their prices and should also help energy producers to procure commodities at lower prices, stabilizing their business. Since China produces such a large amount of the world's consumer technology, such restrictions will have a global effect on the already strained electronics and semiconductor industries. But different companies will deal with the effects of these restrictions differently. Some to Halt Production Advertisement Numerous Taiwanese-outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers serving companies like Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm have production facilities in China. Recently, these firms received notices from local authorities ordering them to stop production at their facilities in Jiangsu for several days in late September. Given the fact that OSAT companies receive wafers from customers and cannot move them quickly, halting of a facility either means a delay of shipments or implementing night shifts after the supply of electricity is resumed. Chang Wah Technology, a chip-packaging material supplier that works with ASE Technology, Infineon, and NXP, reportedly confirmed in a stock-exchange filing that the authorities demanded that it halt production from September 26 through the end of the month. Eson Precision Engineering, which supplies mechanical parts for Apple and Tesla, also said that it was ordered to halt production from September 26 to September 30, but it will attempt to meet the demands of its customers by asking workers to work at night shifts. "Kunshan City on September 26 to September 30 to stop the use of electricity for industrial production, so the company cooperates with the halt production," the statement by Eson "To temporarily maintain operations with inventory during the halt production period, production is expected to be arranged during weekend or the National Day Holiday to satisfy customer shipment demand." Unimicron Technology, a major maker of printed circuit boards (PCBs), will also halt its production facilities in Jiangsu province, but will increase output from facilities elsewhere to meet demands. Others Won't Stop But not all manufacturers in the aforementioned regions will have to temporarily shut down production. The restraints will not be applied to manufacturers with a continuous production cycle that cannot be halted, including manufacturers of semiconductors, reports DigiTimes. Therefore, TSMC and UMC fabs will continue operations, reports Reuters. Furthermore, enterprises paying more taxes or smaller firms engaged in advanced, specialty, and state-of-the-art technology segments will not be affected by power outages, according to DigiTimes, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter. Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, did shut down its production facilities in Longhua, Guanlan, Taiyuan, and Zhengzhou as of early Monday, according to Nikkei. Foxconn is Apple's No. 1 production partner, making iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and a myriad of other products. Pegatron, another major iPhone assembler, told Nikkei on Sunday night that its production facilities operated as usual. Meanwhile, the company has diesel power generators ready, and if authorities order it to halt local operations due to power constraints, it can use them. In fact, while most of China's makers of electronics have uninstalled diesel generators from their production facilities in recent years, some still have them. For those companies, production can likely still continue, albeit at considerably higher costs during outages. Summary China in general is not among the world's most polluted countries (yet some of its cities are among the most polluted ones), yet it emits more CO2 than any other country in the world and its emissions will continue to rise till 2030. Yet, the country is trying to control emissions and energy consumption by its companies, which is why it is implementing rather draconian measures and cuts power consumption to industrial consumers in some provinces. The measures could also help to temporarily lower spot prices of coal, oil, and gas, but such an effect will be mitigated by traders and will hardly have any long-lasting impact on prices of energy carriers eventually. But will these measures work and reduce CO2 emissions and/or energy consumption? Or have a significant impact on the electronics industry? Since major manufacturers of electronics have manufacturing facilities in regions that are not affected by power outages, they can temporarily increase output at facilities elsewhere to meet the demand for their products. Those companies that cannot do so, will introduce nightshifts to meet production goals and compensate for lost revenue. There are also companies that have diesel power generators and can work even when they cannot get energy from the power grid. Finally, there are chipmakers that cannot temporarily halt their production and will keep operating. In general, commercial companies are going to adapt to restrictions and will find ways to meet their shipments goals, which means that their emissions and energy consumption will stay the same. Of course, the outages will temporarily have negative effects on the already stressed electronics supply chain, but it will be mitigated. A byproduct of a temporary production halt could be China's leverage in its trade war with the USA, but since Chinese companies will adjust their operations to meet requirements, the new policy will hardly do anything significant on this front.

Apple leaks likely details about redesigned MacBook Pro laptops. Apple has likely accidentally revealed screen resolutions for its upcoming MacBook Pro notebooks in a beta version of its forthcoming macOS Monterey operating system. If this information is correct, the new 14 and 16-inch display MacBook Pros will have higher resolutions than any current Apple monitors, but perhaps more importantly, they will feature a different aspect ratio. Apple's macOS Monterey beta 7 lists two retina displays featuring resolutions currently not supported by any of Apple's retina monitors, which potentially means that these resolutions will be featured in the upcoming MacBook Pros expected to be released in October or November, reports MacRumors. Assuming that the OS does not list resolutions set to be supported in the distant future, the new MacBook Pro 14 will offer a native resolution of 3024 × 1964, whereas the next-generation MacBook Pro 16 will feature a 3456 × 2234 native resolution. Both LCDs will offer a pixel density of 257 pixels per inch (PPI), up from 227 PPI in case of today's MacBook Pros. While it is good to see that Apple is probably releasing MacBook Pros with higher native resolutions (keep in mind that Apple ships laptops with their resolutions scaled down by default to make everything look bigger and smoother), the more important takeaway here is the possibility that next-generation MacBook Pros will feature a 14:9 (1.56:1) aspect ratio, which is a huge departure from today's 16:9. This new possible aspect ratio implies two things. First, if true, the new MacBook Pros will have to feature a design that's vastly different from all of Apple's laptops released in recent years. This is backed up by rumors from July that we would see redesigned MacBook Pros in Q3 of this year. Second, these new laptops might require Apple to use a new backlighting technology, which is perhaps why Apple reportedly opted for LCD panels with Mini LED backlighting in those July rumors. A 14:9 aspect ratio is very close to the 3:2 (1.5:1) aspect ratio that multiple productivity laptop displays today have begun to prefer. Such an aspect ratio shows more data vertically, which is great for coding, reading, and writing, but may not be ideal for multitasking across different windows. Perhaps addressing that imbalance is the reason Apple's reportedly opting for a slightly wider 14:9 aspect ratio. But at the same time, both 14:9 and 3:2 aspect ratio displays are not ideal for watching content shot for 16:9 screens (think TV content), since they produce noticeable black bars. Also, those who like to watch movies filmed for the cinema (in aspect ratios like 2.35:1 or 2.39:1) will see even larger black bars on these displays. At the very least, usage of LCDs with Mini LED backlighting should mitigate the black bar issue a bit by allowing the picture to be bright but turning off the backlighting on the black bars. There could be some silver lining for viewing content, though. Those who have access to content made in IMAX format (1.43:1) will probably find it more enjoyable on 14:9 and 3:2 monitors. Apple does not comment on unreleased products, so we do not know whether the upcoming MacBook Pro laptops will indeed feature displays with a 14:9 aspect ratio and Mini LED backlighting. Yet, if the rumors are correct, the wait will be over in several weeks' time.

Say goodbye to incompatible and obsolete chargers! The European Commission has announced new plans for legislation today that will require all mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles, to conform to the USB Type-C standard for charging. This goal is to reduce e-waste from a large number of differing chargers, and may also have the added benefit of ending those times when you can't find the right charger for your phone at a friend's house. The transition period will be 24 months once the European Parliament passes the new regulation. Fortunately, the move to Type-C has already become mainstream with most smartphones incorporate Type-C for charging already. The same can be said of tablets, USB headphones, and speakers as well. So once the legislation is set in motion, all major device manufacturers should be ready for it. What About the IPhone? However, this leaves one major player left to make the transition, iPhones. Apple is still using its home-brewed Lightning port, years after most smartphone manufacturers made the transition to Type-C. Of course, many Apple customers own these cables, as well as accessories that use the connector. MacRumors believe Apple has no plans to switch to type-C any time soon. If anything, we might see a completely wireless iPhone before Type-C comes to the phone. It's possible Apple can sell an adapter for future iPhones to allow charging with Type-C chargers to comply with the legislation, though we don't know for sure how that would work with the proposal. Apple could also accelerate its wireless plans and make all iPhones fully wireless by 2023. Or, Apple could simply compromise fully and change plans by making a Type-C iPhone. Fast Charging Uniformity: Along with the Type-C uniformity, the Commission is also proposing a harmonized fast charging technology that will be compatible with all Type-C chargers and devices to ensure charging speeds will be the same when charging any device. If we had to guess, this will probably be related to Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology which is already very po[CENSORED]r in the mobile landscape. The Commission is also proposing unbundling charging bricks from smartphone sales to further reduce e-waste. This is something Apple is already doing with its iPhones and Samsung is doing with Galaxy smartphones. The final proposal is to improve information pertaining to charging statistics for both devices and chargers. The Commission wants to make details perfectly clear on how fast your device charges and whether or not it supports fast charging. According to the Commission, over 11,000 tonnes of chargers are wasted every single year from incompatibility problems and consumer reports say that at least 38% of people have problems finding or buying the right charger in the first place. For now, this legislation only applies to the European Union, but we wouldn't be surprised to see other countries following suit with similar agendas down the line.

A few days ago the AMD RX 5500 graphics card, a 1080p gaming graphics card, was introduced. This new graphics card based on silicon Navi 14 is intended to replace the RX 5080 based on Polaris 20. The new AMD solution still has no official price but aims to be highly affordable. Now we have known that XFX will launch the RX 5500 THICC II graphics card. The XFX heatsink reminds of the grilles of US vehicles in the 60s and 70s. But this graphics card has a major cooling problem according to GamerNexus. This design seems to have been slightly modified and improved. The backside between the backplate and the frontplate has been modified and improved. The XFX RX 5500 THICC II is shown The graphics card has been filtered by Videocardz, who has obtained the stock images of it. The design is similar to that of the RX 5700 model, with a small modification. We see how this graphics card has an 8-pin PCIe connector. We see how this graphics card will carry two fans on this heatsink. The trim, as well as the fans, are black. Copper heatpipes are visible and the XFX logo on the center of the fans has a coppery touch. The backplate has a design that complements the front and, of course, is also black. AMD has endowed this silicon with 1 408 Stream Processors and a Boost frequency of 1 845MHz. We do not know if this graphics card will have overclocking, something possible since the AMD reference model only has a large central fan. We assume that in the next days or weeks we will see the full specifications as well as its price.

It seems that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is not only having problems with its manufacturing node at 7 nm, since now the problems seem to have also extended to the manufacturing node at 16 nm, a node still very much alive but not producing enough chips to satisfy the demand. What is happening with TSMC? The problems that TSMC is having to meet the demand for 7 nm chips is well known, and although the company has multiplied the production of these chips by three, they still do not cover all the orders they receive. And, while the company is still working on solving these supply problems that, among others, are affecting AMD, things get even more complicated because they are also beginning to suffer delays in the deliveries of the 16 nm node chips. There are also problems with the 16 nm, what happens to TSMC? It seems that at this point the manufacturing node at 16 nm would be a thing of the past, but nothing is further from the truth: it is a very live node, and many customers continue to design and manufacture products based on this lithography, given that the manufacturing process It is very mature, it works very well and they are much cheaper chips than smaller nodes, and therefore they are much more profitable. TSMC logo with background chips The fact is that, according to the source, TSMC is delaying the deliveries of these 16 nm chips to its customers because they are not manufacturing enough, so from where there is not can not be taken and are delaying many shipments. The causes of all these problems are uncertain, since TSMC has not issued any statement in this regard, at least for now. It is speculated with many different reasons, but the ones that have more weight and that make the most sense are that the company's factories have work saturation and do not give enough, or that they are still suffering the consequences of that cut of the electricity supply that They had a while ago. Another reason with which it is speculated is that they may have had contamination problems in the "clean rooms" (rooms in which not a single dust mite can enter to avoid contaminating production), because although it is difficult because they are taken Many security measures, is something that can happen. In any case, as we said the company has not issued any statement yet to explain what is happening to them, but that TSMC does not stop having problems is already a fact at this point, and this in the end is harming large-scale manufacturers such as AMD .

It is true that Intel has not lived up to market demands in recent years. The company still does not take out 10nm processors and that is costing sales. It is true that AMD has needed to make the leap at 7nm and increase cores to match 14nm processors. It seems that Intel is working to correct these problems and is already thinking about 7nm. It is estimated that Intel 10nm will be equivalent to 5nm, because the density has been improved by 2.7x compared to 14nm. Intel 7nm will be much better than TSMC 5nm or so at least they aspire. intel already works on Xeon Scalable @ 7nm We saw this weekend as Intel suppressed the Omni-Path technology of the Xeon Scalable. These processors will continue to be the cornerstone of the company for the industrial sector. For the next generation they have developed the LGA4677 socket. This socket will replace the LGA3647 and compete against the EPYC processors. A solution that will not reach the market until 2021. The new Xeon Scalable will be based on the company's 7nm EUV node. These will already integrate PCIe 5.0 and will therefore be compatible with Intel CXL, interconnection and scaling technology. These processors will also have DDR5 DIMM support, although the latter has been fully confirmed. During TE Connectivity, an event for the professional sector, the company has also shown a new socket. It is the LGA4189, of which we do not have more data. Possibly a socket for the e normal ’Xeons. The increase in pins for the LGA4677 socket is due to the use of PCIe 5.0 and CLX. It is also increased because the PCIe lines will be significantly expanded and connectivity will be improved. The number of memory channels may also be expanded.

AMD had some news to share yesterday regarding its enthusiast-grade Threadripper CPUs as well as the budget-focused Ryzen 3 at the other end of the spectrum. While we now know specs and pricing for their range topping CPUs, the company left out pricing details for Ryzen 3. If a recent leak is to be believed, however, the lineup is set to start at just $109 for the Ryzen 3 1200 and $129 for the 1300X. That’s incredibly good value considering that — at least on paper — the chips are in Core i5 territory in terms of compute performance. As a refresher, the lower end Ryzen 3 1200 features base and boost frequencies of 3.1GHz and 3.4GHz, while the 1300X features base and boost frequencies of 3.5GHz and 3.7GHz. They both pack four cores and four threads (no SMT support) and will fit into current AM4 motherboards. Moreover, unlike Intel’s counterparts, AMD’s entire lineup is overclockable, opening up the potential for even better value for budget builders — it remains to be seen how well they overclock, though. The leak came from a poster on reddit — first spotted by Wccftech and reported by Forbes — who claims to have obtained the information from a distributor in his country. We won’t have to wait much longer to see if the information check out as Ryzen 3 is slated to arrive on July 27. In the meantime look out for our Ryzen 3 preview next week. We'll tweak current Ryzen chips to match the specifications of the upcoming budget processors and simulate their performance so you can know what to expect ahead of release.

Known for gaming peripherals, Razer has added a new controller for Xbox One and PC that may be the most customizable controller ever released. The Razer Wolverine Ultimate includes two interchangeable D-Pads, several thumbsticks to choose from, and six buttons and triggers that can be mapped for any desired action. Integrating with Razer Synapse software, full RGB lighting is controllable with a variety of preset styles that range from solid colors to more advanced color cycling and breathing effects. The Wolverine Ultimate also supports the Razer Chroma SDK for Xbox One which will allow developers to make use of lighting effects on the controller to match gameplay. Besides an array of customizable buttons and triggers, the controller also includes a 5mm audio jack for stereo audio output and microphone input. A detachable 10-foot Micro-USB braided cable with quick release is included for charging the controller. Weighing in at just over half a pound, the controller should have a solid feel without being too heavy for prolonged use. A carrying case is also included with the controller should you feel the need to travel with it or just have a protective covering for storage of an expensive peripheral. The Razer Wolverine Ultimate will be available beginning in September 2017 will carry an MSRP of $159.99. A standard one year warranty is included. Source: CsblackDevil.com

For some generations now, NVIDIA uses the same desktop GPUs on laptops, although with some differences to reduce its consumption. In essence they are the same GPU, but NVIDIA drivers continue to differentiate those dedicated to dedicated graphics on PCs and laptops. Why do they do it and what are the differences? In this article we explain everything. What is the difference between a laptop and desktop GPU? First of all, it should be clarified that, some time ago, the GPUs of the laptop and those of the dedicated graphics of NVIDIA were completely different, and in fact those of the laptops had the distinctive "M" at the end of their name for better differentiation. However, for a long time the GPU is essentially the same, but with some reduced attributes in order to reduce its consumption. Thus, for example, an RTX 2080 in its reference model for desktop, has 2,944 shader units, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit interface that makes it work at 14 GHz effective, delivering a bandwidth of 448 GB / s. The RTX 2080 notebook is exactly the same, with the same parameters, but nevertheless its speed is slightly lower, around 9% slower in its base speed and 7% in its Boost speed. The performance is also slightly lower on the notebook model, but instead of consuming 215 watts, it consumes only 150W. We do not speak, however, of the Max-Q variants, which are graphics with a much lower consumption (90 watts in this case) and with much lower operating speeds, so the performance also plummets. If the GPU is the same, why are the NVIDIA drivers different? When we go to the NVIDIA driver download website, when choosing the graphics model for which we want to download the drivers, the normal models are clearly different from those of the notebook (Notebooks). But there is a difference that we can clearly see: size. The desktop drivers, to the right of the image, occupy 570.94 MB compared to 523.27 MB of the desktop graphics version. This difference in size is because the laptop drivers have a lower level of customization, although the firmware and the driver itself is exactly the same, as well as the same technologies because, remember, the GPU is the same. Why if the driver is the same occupy different size? If you have read this far, surely you are asking yourself precisely this question: why do they have a different level of personalization? This is because, with the "NVIDIA Notebook Driver" program, the company ensures the correct functioning of the reference model - we speak in this case only of laptops. However, most laptop manufacturers modify these GPUs to offer higher performance, lower consumption or lower temperature, and therefore the operation may be different and not work perfectly with the NVIDIA driver.

We are seeing how Intel is modifying its commercial strategy with respect to its processors. The new Core-X will arrive at half the price of its predecessors due to the AMD Threadripper. They have also recently reduced the price of Core-F by up to 25%. Intel's next step will not be to jump at 10nm, it will be to introduce HyperThreading technology into the Core i3 Comet Lake. To date, the company reserved the system of processing threads for some processors. Especially it can be seen in the Core i5 and the Core i9, staying out of the Core i7. It seems that the company wants to bring HyperThreading to the Core i3-10100 and thus boost its sales. Intel will bring HyperThreading to the Core i3 We know this thanks to a filtered benchmark of the Core i3-101000 processor, a natural replacement for the Core i3-9100. To date, the Core i3-9100 had 4 cores and 4 threads. This new Core i3-10100 processor will have 4 cores and 8 threads. It will allow this new processor to obtain between 30-50% more performance and would be equivalent to the Core i7-7700K. The test that has been leaked indicates that this processor works at 3.6GHz, which, if confirmed, would make it an ideal processor for gaming. The Core i3-9100 is around € 100, if it came out at the same price (or even up to 25% more expensive) it would be an excellent processor. In addition, it would not generate a bottleneck with the majority of market graphics. Comet Lake from Intel, as we know, will have a 10-core, 20-wire stop. Possibly this processor will be the most advanced and we will need a refrigerator to cool it. The Core i9-9900K with 8 cores and 16 threads already generate problems for cooling. A 10-core 20-core 10-core Core i9-10900K theoretician will require bestial heatsinks.

Already at the end of the year and with all the great fairs in the world held in their different countries, we have seen a fairly significant increase in Qi wireless charging devices, from monitors to floor mats, through headphone stands. A considerable increase that seems to foresee that there will be an explosion in 2020 of this type of technology, but what is it really and how does it work? Qi technology: the future has already begun There are times when a technology does not finish taking off, it does not end up being accepted by its users and therefore it ends up in oblivion or replaced by another that is implemented without problems between products and people. Normally this type of technologies are proprietary and although the company that implements it is very large (Apple case with its connectors for chargers) in the end the users want comfort, a single cable for everything, a single connection for everything, in short, ease for day to day, we pay for that, right? The answer to the need to charge your devices without any cable, that is, wirelessly, came from the Wireless Power Consortium, which together with partners who wanted to enter the program a technology that is based on the remote power transmission. Said power is established as an electromagnetic induction by means of a magnetic field and is generated by a base by way of charging with a transmitter coil, where in the device to be charged another coil has to be introduced as a receiver, so that the magnetic field and Energy transfer is always constant. The main problem they found was that the load depended on the position where the device was, since the distance from coil to coil was a problem and they had to be at a specific point and in a certain position. The solution was just as simple as the problem: placing various coils along the base of the load and the device, where the magnetic field is enhanced and not dependent on a specific position for said load. Two types of charges, two standards in full competition to win the battle Currently there is no definitive Qi standard, because although it seems otherwise, manufacturers fight on two different sides as a general rule: those that carry devices with inductive magnetic load and those that carry magnetic resonance system. The funny thing is that both work through the same principle of inductive coupling, the differences come in efficiency. Devices with inductive load are being imposed on the market because they are more energy efficient speaking, but in return it is less accurate in terms of distance and alignment with the base, something that seems not to be affecting most users too much.

To date, the NVIDIA ‘SUPER’ designation was reserved for GTX 20 Series graphics cards. It seems that the company will finally extend this denomination to the GTX 16 Series. The company's simplest graphics with RT Cores and Tensor Cores will receive at least one version. During the last weeks there has been a lot of talk about a GTX 1660 SUPER, which has just been made official. This new NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER graphics card will be the most powerful in the company's mid-range. There will be no reference model, the models customized by the manufacturers will be seen directly. Possibly they come with lower prices even to the model they arrive to replace and combat the AMD RX 5500. NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER is confirmed Zotac has been the first of the manufacturers to have these charts ready. The company will have two models, the simple model and an AMP model. This second model, with a better cooling system will have factory overclocking and therefore, better performance. Another of the outstanding novelties of this graphic is that it will not arrive with GDDR5 memories, but will arrive with GDDR6 memories. The change of memories does not seem important, but it gives us extra performance. Obtaining more bandwidth improves the final performance of the graph. The frequencies have not yet been confirmed, which will be revealed shortly before launch or when NVIDIA officially presents them. We see how this graphic has an 8-pin PCIe connector and completely lacks an NVLink port. On its performance, we must expect 10-15% more than the GTX 1660 with a fairly similar consumption. We assume that in the coming days NVIDIA will reveal the launch date and Zotac the market launch price of its two models.

Manufacturers of custom graphics card models work to offer interesting solutions. There is a lot of offer and everyone is looking to offer something that differentiates them from the competition and invites the user to buy their product. XFX a few weeks ago introduced the RX 5700 XT THICC II. The company has taken another step and presented the XFX RX 5700 XT THICC III Ultra. This new graphics card differs from the previous model in that it has three fans. The THICC II as the name implies, has only two fans, while the THICC III has a third fan. The heatsink block in this graphic is also a bit thicker because the GPU has factory overclocking. XFX introduces the RX 5700 XT THICC III Ultra As with the THICC II, this model is completely without RGB and the aluminum fins cover is completely black. The backplate of this graphics card merges with the front bezel in an elegant way. The back has a rack that reminds us of the most classic American muscle cars. Regarding the characteristics of this graphics card, it will work at a frequency of 1 810MHz. The ‘Game’ mode will be in this case at 1 835MHz and the Boost mode has been taken to 2 025MHz. We talk about an important overclocking, hence the heatsink is bigger and the fan extra. The 8GB GDDR6 of this graphics card continue to operate at 14Gbps. These memories offer us a 256-bit memory interface and a bandwidth of 448GB / s. This THICC III Ultra model has a year of 2.7 PCIe slots (therefore 3 effective PCIe slots). The edge of the backplate and the front bezel has a silver border that is a pass. Two 90mm fans and a 100mm center fan have been integrated. This dissipation system has ZeroDB fan technology, so that the fans do not work if there is no temperature.

Just a few days ago Rockstar Games confirmed that, finally, Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available for PC from November 5, after many months of rumors. Now the company has revealed what are the minimum and recommended requirements to play its new game on PC, so we already know what PC we will need to play it. Launched on October 26, 2018 for consoles, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most anticipated titles for PC, and after more than a year we can finally play it on our PCs ... as long as they meet at least the minimum hardware requirements. And do not think that being a console port will have low requirements, since the developer has already announced that the game will have numerous improvements in its PC version, especially visual and technical, as well as new game modes, so as already let us glimpse, we will need a mid-range gaming PC to be able to move it to a decent FPS level. red dead redemption 2 Red Dead Redemption 2: minimum and recommended requirements Through the game launcher, these are the minimum and recommended requirements revealed by Rockstar in order to play Red Dead Redemption on PC: Minimum requirements (720p with low graphics) Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300 RAM memory: 8 GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2 GB / AMD Radeon R9 280 3 GB Hard disk: 150 GB available Operating System: Windows 7 SP1 Recommended requirements (1080p with high graphics) Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X RAM memory: 12 GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4 GB Hard Drive: 150 GB available Operating system: Windows 10 - April 2018 (version 1803) As you can see, in addition to taking up a lot of space on the hard drive, Red Dead Redemption 2 will need a mid-range gaming PC to function decently, that is, we will not need to have one of the latest GeForce RTX to make function properly However, we must not detract from the requirements necessary to operate the game on PC, because especially to play 1080p we will need a computer with a hardware configuration already quite high. What will we need to play Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K resolution? Rockstar has not revealed the hardware requirements we will need to play at 4K resolution. Of course, if we want to play in Ultra and with resolutions higher than 1080p that indicate for your recommended requirements, it will be advisable to have a more modern processor, surely more RAM, and a more powerful graphics card. If we had to "get wet", we would say that to play this title at 4K resolution we will need a decent FPS rate we will need a team with these characteristics: Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 RAM memory: 16 GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / AMD Radeon 5700 XT The capacity of the available hard disk will continue to be 150 GB, and the operating system version, likewise Windows 10 in its 1803 version or more updated. With a gaming PC of these characteristics, we can probably play at 4K resolution without problems, although we must emphasize that these requirements are not official Rockstar and, therefore, we can not guarantee it either.

There is a lot of expectation around the new Intel graphics cards. During the IDC 2019 (Intel Developer Conference) held in Tokyo, benchmarks of these graphics have been shown. The table compares the current UHD 620 integrated in the 9th Generation Core with the Iris Plus that are integrated in the Ice Lake. The performance jump between Gen 9.5 (UHD 620) and Gen11 (Iris Plus) is important. Although the performance jump is notorious, it would still be far from the AMD RX Vega integrated in the Ryzen APUs. It is true that Intel graphics have always been characterized for being good for video and nothing else. With these new graphics you can play modestly, but you can. Major performance leap of Intel iGPUs Most games that did not reach 30FPS before in 1080p resolution now pass that frame rate. Who jumps the most is the CS: GO, that if around 45-50FPS would now go to 75-80FPS. And it is that the integrated graphics have always been characterized for being optimal for eSports games, which are quite light graphically. Kenichiro Yasu, Intel Director commented that Gen12 graphics double the performance of Gen11. We talked about a brutal performance jump, since according to the image, for example, the CS: GO could go to 150FPS quietly. Moving any game at 1080p resolution> 60FPS would be a luxury. But of course, for this to happen we must wait for the Intel Tiger Lake that will arrive, possibly, at the end of 2020. Another interesting fact is that the Intel Xe will have support for RayTracing in 2020. AMD currently has no plans to support this technology. Although it is said that the PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett will allow 4K @ 60FPS gaming with RayTracing, as we have learned, they will be based on an RX 5500.

It is a problem as serious as it is limited, but the reality is that Intel is again current due to problems in its processors, which added to the shortage of many of these are getting close a week not too good. The discovery has been a joint work of Google and Mozilla, since it has affected first of all the two most po[CENSORED]r browsers in the world: Chrome and Firefox. The Google team has been working intensely on a problem that they detected months ago with Intel Gemini Lake processors, where they state verbatim, they have been observing "impossible" bugs on that Swan platform. Specifically, they detail that the failures occur in the processors within the family 6 model 122 and Stepping 1, where for the moment such blockages only occur in the 64-bit version of Chrome and in the prologue of two functions. According to Google, given that blocking involves reading bytes of incorrect instructions when crossing a 16-byte limit and since blocking seems to happen only with particular 16-byte alignments, it seems reasonable to force the function's alignments to a multiple of 32 to See if this safely prevents blockages. This would prevent, at least in theory, that your Chrome browser crashes, which basically forces you to align the functions to 32 bytes, that is, if we get the 32-bit version of the browser the processor should not be seen in this position, avoiding Possible blockages It should be remembered that Gemini Lake is the successor of Apollo Lake, so they are low-power processors aimed at laptops and low-power equipment. They are manufactured in the 14 nm lithographic process and are based on the Goldmont Plus architecture, so it includes the Celeron J4005, J4105, N4000, N4100 and Pentium Silver J5005 and N5000. Mozilla through Firefox is reporting the same problems that Google has had with Gemini Lake, but it goes further, as they claim the whole problem seems to have been introduced through a microcode update for the CPU. Given these criticisms and problems, Intel has offered an answer, where they have affirmed that the reliability of their products is a priority. They ensure that under a complex set of micro architectural conditions, users may experience failures in applications and systems based on Intel Pentium Silver and Intel Celeron processors under the Gemini Lake architecture. Therefore, Intel has released a microcode update to its customers and partners that mitigates this problem, so they are working with them to make it available as quickly as possible to end users. This is certainly hopeful, but it must be confirmed that, in effect, said microcode solves the problem of blockages, since we are talking about the two most used browsers currently in the world, so the number of users that may be affected should be very large. Until such a microcode update arrives in the form of UEFI or BIOS, it is recommended that if the crashes are suffered, opt for the 32-bit version of any of the browsers described.

SI today announced two new X299 motherboards, the Creator X299 and X299 Pro10G, for Intel’s upcoming 18-core LGA 2066 CPUs. As the names imply, Creator X299 focuses on creative types with Thunderbolt 3, while the X299 Pro10G focuses on its 10GbE interface. Specs MSI Creator X299 MSI X299 Pro10G Supports Intel Core X-series processors 10000/9000/78xx (above) series for LGA2066 socket Supports Intel Core X-series processors 10000/9000/78xx (above) series for LGA2066 socket Supports DDR4 memory, 8 DIMMs, quad-channel max frequency DDR4-4266+(OC) Supports DDR4 memory, up to 4,200+ MHz (OC) Dedicated 12 phases 90A digital power to CPU, with all aluminum design Lightning USB 20G: Powered by ASMedia ASM3242 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 controller 10G LAN + Intel Gigabit LAN with Intel WIFI 6 and bandwidth management Twin Turbo M.2 7x Turbo M.2 with M.2 XPANDER-AERO, 1x Turbo U.2 M.2 XPANDER-Z: Offers two extra M.2 slots to increase storage capacity at max speed Full fan control with 8 PWM fan headers and 1 dedicated thermal sensor Set Core Power Free: Core Boost, 2x 8-pin CPU power connector, Core Boost, DDR4 Boos Lightning USB 20G: Powered by ASMedia ASM3242 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 controller Extended Heatsink design: MSI extended PWM and enhanced circuit design M.2 Shield Frozr: Strengthened built-in M.2 thermal solution Dual LAN onboard: Premium network solution included 1x 2.5G LAN for professional and multimedia use Core Boost: With premium layout and full digital power design 10G Super LAN card Triple 8-pin power supply Audio Boost 4: Studio-grade sound quality. Mystic Light: 16.8 million colors / 29 effects controlled in one click. Mystic Light Extension supports RGB, Rainbow and Corsair LED strip Multi-GPU: With Steel armor PCIe slots. Supports 3-Way SLI / Crossfire Audio Boost 4 with Nahimic DDR4 Boost with Steel Armor Steel Armor PCIe slots. Supports up to 4-Way Nvidia SLI & 4-way AMD Crossfire Thunderbolt 3: Exclusive expansion card offering dual DisplayPort and dual Thunderbolt 3 4K video The Creator X299 gets the longer list, and perhaps the most interesting of these features is its triple EPS12V (8-pin CPU 12V power) connectors that are tied to a 90A voltage regulator. Notice that the Creator gets onboard 10GbE in addition to its four x16-length PCIe slots and Thunderbolt 3 expansion card. Space for this integration comes via an expansion from the standard ATX depth. MSI calls this EATX, but there are a bunch of ATX PC cases with an extra 1.1 inch of clearance at the motherboard’s front edge. The X299 Pro10G gets its namesake feature via a PCIe x4 expansion card while retaining the classic ATX dimensions. Unfortunately, installing that card could dictate the number of graphics cards that a PC builder can install and/or their placement. Both boards also feature a PCIe x8 to dual M.2 expansion card, the use of which places further restrictions on the number of graphics cards installed and their placement. Here’s how MSI addresses the extra eight lanes available from the new 18-core processors: MSI Creator X299 MSI X299 Pro10G 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots 4x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots Support x8/ x8/ x16/ x8 and x16/ x0/ x16/ x8 modes with the 48-lane CPU. Support x16/x8/x16/x8 mode with the 48-lane CPU* Support x8/ x8/ x16/ x8 and x16/ x0/ x16/ x8 modes with the 44-lane CPU.* Support x16/x4/x16/x8 mode with the 44-lane CPU* Support x8/ x8/ x8/ x0 and x16/ x0/ x8/ x0 modes with the 28-lane CPU.** Support x16/x4/x8/x0 mode with the 28-lane CPU* *The PCI_E4 slot will run 3.0 x4 speed with 44-lane CPU when installing M.2 PCIe device into M2_3 slot. *Please refer to user manual for PCIe 3.0 bandwidth table **The PCIe 4 slot is unavailable with 28-lane CPU. The Creator X299 sacrifices four lanes for an installed M.2 device when using a 44-lane (rather than the new 48-lane) CPU, but users of the X299 Pro10G are told to look up a table for presumably more complicated sharing schemes under similar circumstances.

Almost 3 months ago the news of the price cut by Intel in its processors jumped, where there was talk of up to -15% of the price according to which models. Months went by and this reduction was not considered effective, but now and interestingly after the launch of Cascade Lake-X and the new Xeon 2000, Intel announces a price reduction in some processors of its ninth generation. Intel leaves Cascade Lake-X, Xeon 2000 at almost half Intel-Cascade-Lake-X-intro At the end of last week we already announced the great price cut of Swan's in relation to its range of Cascade Lake-X and Xeon 2000 processors, where the cost had been reduced by its highest average to almost -50%. The funny thing about all this is that the 9th generation of its desktop gaming processors had not touched on this aspect, especially considering that Zen 2 is already on the market and is literally devouring the 9000 series in sales. Today's announcement releases doubts about what Intel is going to take to counter AMD and stop, at least in part, the sales bleeding they are taking. But to understand the reason for this measure, we have to understand what the real substance of this matter is. As sure that we have seen all in the main stores, Intel launched several variants of its processors, where we could find models K, KF and F. The last two have the peculiarity that the processor that includes said tag in its name will not carry a graphics card iGPU inside, being disabled, but physically if it remained in the die. This was done to take better advantage of the wafers, where as we said, the most complicated part of manufacturing for Swan was precisely the iGPU, which was lowering the success rate of chips in the company. Therefore and partly following the trend of AMD in gaming processors, Intel decided to sell these processors without iGPU, obtaining greater profitability per wafer.

Through the looking glass: Sony may have nailed the look and feel of the PlayStation Classic but the gameplay experience seemingly leaves a lot to be desired. Questions abound as to why Sony included PAL titles when NTSC games perform better. Sony’s PlayStation Classic (read the review) won’t hit stores until early next month but that hasn’t stopped Digital Foundry from getting their mitts on an early review sample and cracking it open to have a look at what’s inside. Five cross-head Phillips screws hold the two halves of the chassis together – no tricky Torx screws or glue to contend with. Removing the bottom half of the case gives us our first look at the console’s PCB, a custom design from Sony. Four more screws secure the board to the case. Once removed, the board is freed. As you can see, Sony has employed a metal shroud that doubles as a heatsink for the SoC. Removing the shroud reveals a MediaTek MT8167A which uses a quad-core ARM Cortex A35 running at 1.5GHz alongside an integrated PowerVR GE8300 GPU. The system is further mated to 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It’s not considered powerful hardware by today’s standards but in theory, it should be more than enough to emulate a game console from the mid-90s... except, theory doesn’t always pan out. Digital Foundry in testing the system found some peculiar choices. Namely, several of the console’s 20 pre-loaded games are the PAL versions rather than the NTSC versions. As the publication explains: Well, these days all console systems run at 60Hz - a format accepted by HDTVs the world over. Back in the day, PAL territories used TVs that ran at 50Hz instead, and the easiest way to 'port' games over to PAL systems was to simply run them more slowly. Most PAL games run at 83.3 per cent of the full-speed of the NTSC versions in terms of frame-rate, and most of the time in terms of actual gameplay speed too. Side-by-side with the NTSC equivalents, PAL versions are generally slow and plodding and don't properly represent a US or Japanese developer's original vision. Digital Foundry notes that even some of the NTSC games have issues. In R4 Ridge Racer Type 4, for example, the team observed some performance dips. The situation is even worse with PAL titles, especially those that run at 30Hz. Sony’s PlayStation Classic launches on December 3 priced at $99.99. FnaticC - CsBlackDevil.com