AMD is set to rejuvenate its AM4 platform by introducing a new series of Ryzen 5000XT processors, as disclosed during a presentation at the AMD Advantage Club event with channel partners. This move reflects AMD's continued support for the AM4 platform, which remains popular among users seeking cost-effective computing solutions despite the earlier launch of the AM5 platform in 2022. The Ryzen 5000XT series is anticipated to follow in the footsteps of the 3000XT series, which marked the last update to the Ryzen 3000 "Zen 2" lineup by offering modest frequency enhancements.
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We've tested a number of Innogrit based NVMe drivers in the past, and they certainly are impressive. InnoGrit, a company under Yingren Technology, has recently started large-scale production of a new piece of technology called the YRS820 controller. This is a big step in the world of PCIe 5.0 technology. What makes the YRS820 particularly interesting is that it uses a type of computer instructions known as RISC-V, which is open for anyone to use and modify, unlike most other instruction sets that are proprietary. The launch of the YRS820 is a strategic move by InnoGrit to make its mark not just in China, but also in Western countries. This controller is the successor to an earlier, more advanced model called the YRS900.
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ASUS introduced the ROG Strix XG27WCS, a 27-inch curved WQHD gaming monitor, utilizing a Fast VA panel. This new offering from ASUS supports a high refresh rate of 180Hz and a response time of 1ms (GTG), aimed at delivering swift and fluid visuals. It is compatible with AMD FreeSync technology, enhancing gaming experiences by minimizing screen tearing and stuttering. In addition to these features, the ROG Strix XG27WCS comes equipped with ELMB Sync functionality, designed to work alongside synchronization technology to provide clear visuals without ghosting or tearing.
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Razer has announced the upcoming release of the Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar (model: RZ43-05040100-R3EJ), which is set to enhance the ambiance of gaming setups and workspaces. The Aether Monitor Light Bar is designed to mount atop any display, including curved monitors, due to its versatile design. It features front-facing white LEDs and rear-facing RGB LEDs, allowing users to customize their lighting experience. The light bar offers adjustable brightness, color temperature (ranging from 2,700K to 6,500K), and Chroma effects via capacitive touch controls, ensuring a wide and natural lighting spread that covers an area of 600x300mm with 500 lux, maintaining balanced brightness throughout.
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Asus has officially announced the pricing and specifications for its ROG NUC series, introducing two configurations that cater to mid-range and high-end gaming needs. The entry-level model, priced at $1,629, is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, while the premium variant features an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and an RTX 4070 GPU, with a price tag of $2,199. The high-end ROG NUC, with its RTX 4070 GPU, is aimed at delivering a solid gaming performance at 1440p resolution and 60 FPS in Ultra settings, although adjustments to lower settings can enhance resolution and frame rate capabilities.
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Microsoft has recently applied a patent that outlines a novel approach to optimizing ray-tracing performance, particularly in scenarios where video memory (VRAM) is limited. The patent introduces an innovative level of detail (LOD) system designed to dynamically adjust the quality of ray-tracing effects, thereby reducing the overall memory requirements for rendering. This method is analogous to the LOD strategies currently employed in 3D gaming environments, where the graphical fidelity of objects decreases with distance from the viewer to conserve resources. However, Microsoft's patent applies this principle to the ray-tracing pipeline, specifically targeting the reduction of its memory footprint.
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Team Group, the global leading provider of premium storage solutions, announced the launch of two new lightweight solutions today: the PD20M Mag Portable SSD, exclusively designed by Team Group and MagSafe compatible, and the ULTRA CR-I MicroSD Memory Card Reader. Starting the year strong with leading technology and innovative product design capabilities, Team Group continues to provide users with novel and compact solutions to meet diverse application needs.
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Qualcomm is positioning its upcoming Snapdragon X Elite systems as a viable platform for Windows gaming, without the need for developers to port their existing titles. At the 2024 Game Developers Conference, Qualcomm engineer Issam Khalil presented "Windows on Snapdragon, a Platform Ready for your PC Games," emphasizing that these ARM-based laptops would employ emulation to run x86/64 games efficiently, nearing full performance speeds. The company has announced plans to introduce Snapdragon X Elite-equipped systems in the summer of 2024, with speculation surrounding new versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 potentially featuring these chips as early as May.
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NVIDIA finalized its last update for the GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs in late January, and new information now indicates that the company is poised to introduce another batch of updated models. The focus of this update appears to be on the more affordable end of the RTX 40 series, with potential refreshes for the GeForce RTX 4060, 4060 Ti, and 4070 models, although the scope of these updates might be limited compared to previous refreshes.
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AMD has unveiled the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F processors, extending its Ryzen 8000F series, which is tailored for the Chinese market. These new entries are part of the "Hawk Point" series and are characterized by their absence of integrated graphics. The announcement was made during AMD's Beijing AI PC Innovation Summit, an event primarily focused on the introduction of the Ryzen 8040 mobile series and the 8000G desktop processors for the Chinese market. The Ryzen 8000F series processors, denoted by the "F" suffix, indicate the lack of onboard graphics. This designation often suggests that these chips bypass the inclusion of an integrated graphics unit, potentially due to manufacturing variances. The "F" series processors are typically offered at a slightly lower price point, catering to users who prefer or require discrete graphics solutions.
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UL Procyon Introduces AI Image Generation Benchmark to Assess High-End Hardware Performance UL Procyon is set to expand its suite of AI Inference benchmarks with the introduction of the AI Image Generation Benchmark on March 25th. This development comes as AI technology continues to emerge as a pivotal advancement in the current decade, with numerous industry leaders vying to provide superior AI Inference capabilities through their hardware solutions. Following the initial launch of the Procyon AI Inference Benchmarks for Windows last year, which focused on Computer Vision tasks, this new benchmark aims to provide a reliable, precise, and comprehensible method for evaluating the AI performance of premium hardware.
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At the GTC 2024 conference, amidst the unveiling of NVIDIA's Blackwell GPU architecture, various memory manufacturers showcased their latest technologies. Notably, Samsung highlighted its forthcoming 28 Gbps and 32 Gbps GDDR7 memory modules designed for next-generation gaming GPUs. In a competitive move, SK Hynix confirmed its development of even faster GDDR7 memory modules, targeting speeds of 40 Gbps. Previously, Samsung had announced its work on a 37 Gbps GDDR7 memory, setting a high benchmark in the industry. However, SK Hynix aims to surpass this with its 40 Gbps modules, establishing a new performance target for the GDDR7 memory family.
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In 2024, AMD is poised to introduce its latest generation of Ryzen processors, known as Strix Point, which will incorporate Zen 5 CPU and RDNA 3+ GPU architectures, along with XDNA 2 architecture enhancements. The announcement was made during an AI PC summit in Beijing, where David Wang, AMD's Senior Vice President of Engineering for Radeon Technologies Group, initially discussed the upcoming RDNA 3+ GPU architecture. Though initially there was ambiguity regarding the specifics of RDNA 3+ and its relation to the anticipated Navi 4x series, AMD's CEO, Lisa Su, clarified that RDNA 3+ represents an evolution of the RDNA 3 architecture, intended to enhance rather than replace the forthcoming RDNA 4 GPU architecture.
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ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced ROG Carnyx, a professional-grade cardioid USB microphone that features a 25 mm condenser capsule and a 24 bit / 192 kHz sampling rate to deliver natural and rich sound. It offers uninterrupted, clear recordings thanks to a high-pass filter that reduces low-frequency noise, a built-in pop filter that prevents plosives, and a metal shock mount that minimizes external vibrations. A one-touch mute button and multi-functional control knob provide intuitive control over mic settings for more convenient recording and streaming sessions. ROG Carnyx is even endorsed by professional Valorant player and streamer Sam “s0m” Oh.
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Microsoft has announced the release of two new products tailored for the business sector: the Surface Pro 10 for Business and the Surface Laptop 6 for Business. These devices are designed to meet the specific needs of business users, offering enhanced performance, battery life, connectivity options, and security features. They are also the first in the Surface line to be optimized for artificial intelligence (AI), featuring the new Copilot key for easy access to advanced Windows AI functionalities. Additionally, Microsoft Adaptive Accessories are now available for commercial customers, expanding accessibility options. The Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business are equipped with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, reflecting Microsoft's collaboration with Intel to ensure reliable performance and facilitate AI experiences within the Surface and Windows ecosystems. Since 2019, Surface devices have incorporated Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to enhance AI capabilities, with the new models offering significant performance improvements over their predecessors.
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MediaTek introduced four new systems-on-chip (SoCs) for automotive applications, expanding its Dimensity Auto Cockpit portfolio. These SoCs, namely the CX-1, CY-1, CM-1, and CV-1, are designed to cater to a wide range of automotive segments, from premium to entry-level. Each SoC supports NVIDIA DRIVE OS, enabling car manufacturers to integrate advanced AI capabilities into their vehicles. The Dimensity Auto Cockpit SoCs incorporate an ARM v9-A architecture and leverage NVIDIA's next-generation GPU technology for AI computing and RTX graphics. This allows the platform to run large language models directly within the vehicle, facilitating a variety of AI-driven functionalities such as chatbots, content delivery across multiple displays, driver alertness monitoring, and other innovative safety and entertainment features. Local processing of these applications ensures enhanced security, speed, and reduced latency. The platform also features hardware-based security measures in line with the latest automotive safety standards.
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ENERMAX, known for its commitment to high-performance computing components, recently introduced the PlatiGemini 1200W power supply unit (PSU), distinguished as the first to achieve 80 Plus Platinum certification while supporting both Intel ATX 3.1 and ATX12VO standards. This innovation caters specifically to system integrators and professionals who demand high efficiency and reliability for critical projects. The PlatiGemini stands out by offering compatibility with both traditional 24-pin motherboards and the more energy-efficient 10-pin 12VO motherboards, significantly enhancing energy conversion efficiency and adhering to stringent environmental standards. The PlatiGemini's design is future-proof, facilitating seamless integration with both current and upcoming motherboard technologies by focusing solely on 12V output, thus eliminating unnecessary energy conversion losses. This PSU is not only adaptable to various system requirements but also contributes to the advancement of sustainable computing practices.
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During a conference call following its quarterly financial report on March 21, 2024, Micron Technology's CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, highlighted the intensive wafer consumption of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) compared to traditional memory forms. Specifically, the production of the same capacity of the latest HBM3E memory, using the same fabrication process, requires three times the wafer volume needed for standard DDR5 memory. This disparity is expected to widen with future generations like HBM4 due to advancements in performance and increased complexity in packaging.
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ASUSTOR Inc. has expanded its hard drive compatibility list to include the Seagate IronWolf Pro 24 TB NAS hard drive, model ST24000NT002, catering to businesses and high-capacity data users. This integration allows select ASUSTOR NAS models to reach storage capacities close to 400 TB. The incorporation of 24 TB IronWolf Pro drives enhances the efficiency of ASUSTOR's MyArchive backup feature by reducing the number of drives needed for comprehensive backup processes, thereby supporting the 3-2-1 backup rule and facilitating extensive archival storage needs
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During the GTC 2024 event, NVIDIA announced the release of the RTX Global Illumination 2.0 SDK, marking a significant update in ray tracing technology. This latest version introduces innovative features designed to enhance developer efficiency and performance in graphics-intensive applications, such as video games. The RTX Global Illumination 2.0 SDK is now accessible to developers using NVIDIA GPUs that support ray tracing and AI acceleration, including those with Tensor Core architecture.
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