Latest News - Page 762

Micron has just teased its VRAM roadmap covering memory technology for GPUs through to 2028, including GDDR7 and HBM4E memory technologies.

Micron already has its GDDR6X memory running at up to 24Gbps (up from 21Gbps when it was first introduced) with 16Gb dies at 96GB/sec. But in 2024, we're going to see new GDDR7 memory at a much faster 32Gbps bandwidth, and 16-24Gb dies at 128GB/sec, while faster GDDR7 memory will arrive in 2026, with 36Gbps bandwidth and 24Gb+ dies at 144GB/sec.

We should expect NVIDIA's next-gen GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards to use Micron's new GDDR7 memory, with 32Gbps bandwidth at its disposal. The next-gen GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card should have a 512-bit memory bus with a whopping 1.5TB/sec of memory bandwidth thanks to the much faster GDDR7 memory.

NVIDIA doesn't update its GeForce Experience app often, so the latest version - GeForce Experience 3.27 - is big. For those who like to capture high-quality game footage, you'll be pleased to know that it fixes a HDR bug, so 8K 60FPS HDR recording with a high-end GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU will no longer look overexposed.

Interestingly, the release notes mention that this new version "adds support for GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptops - from ShadowPlay & Optimal Game Settings to Max-Q technologies like DLSS 3, Whisper Mode, and Battery Boost 2.0." Arriving almost a year after these laptop chips hit the market, it will be interesting to see if it makes a noticeable difference to things like battery life and the quality of Max-Q tech.

The GeForce Experience app from NVIDIA is also great for optimizing game settings for performance, and version 3.27 adds "optimal settings" support to 50 games for GeForce RTX GPU owners. It's a massive list that includes everything from Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered to Overwatch 2 and Warhammer 40K: Darktide.

3DMark synthetic GPU benchmarks have been a staple part of the review process here at TweakTown for a long time, and over the years, the two big standout tests have been the DirectX 11-based FireStrike and the DirectX 12-based TimeSpy. For those buying new graphics cards, firing up 3DMark TimeSpy right after installation to check out the score has become a right of passage.

Other benchmarks that cover ray tracing (like Port Royal) and other high-end GPU features have appeared. Still, as 3DMark enters its 25th anniversary, it is set to debut a new staple benchmark called Steel Nomad, just in time for NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 40 Series SUPER graphics cards that will launch early next year.

3DMark Steel Nomad is a forward-thinking benchmark that will work across multiple platforms, APIs, and operating systems. Windows users will use the modern and updated DirectX 12 API; for macOS users, it will use Metal; and for Android and Linux systems, it will use Vulkan.

Micron has just announced its new 128GB DDR5 RDIMMs that are capable of operating at 8000 MT/s today, where they'll enter mass production in 2024.

The company recently started fabricating its new 32Gb monolithic DDR5 dies, with its mature 1β technology, Micron says its new 32Gb monolithic DDR5 dies have over 45% more bit density, reaching speeds of up to 8000 MT/s as well as having more aggressive timing latencies compared to the regular JEDEC specs. Micron is flexing its 1β process here, claiming it's up to 24% more energy efficient than the competitors' 3DS TSV technology.

Micron not using 3DS TSV also allows for lower AI training times, with 1β allowing Micron to optimize the data input buffers and critical I/O circuits better, as well as reducing the pin capacitance on the data lines. The benefit? Higher speeds and lower power consumption. You can see in the chart above that Micron has increased its monolithic die density by 100% every 3 years or so; where we last had 24Gb in 2022, and now at the tail end of 2023 we have 32Gb dies.

MSI stepped into an interesting direction with its Project Zero motherboards, cleaning the front of them of all of their power plugs and moving them to the back of the board, and now a new Z790 Project Zero motherboard is baking in the oven.

The company has been collaborating with DIY-APE on the recent B760 and B650 chipsets. Now MSI is stepping up into the Z790 Project Zero, which will be capable of housing Intel's new 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors, including the new flagship Core i9-14900K chip.

MSI's upcoming Z790 Project Zero motherboard will feature a solid brushed silver and black theme, with high-end VRMs for those power-hungry Core processors and 4 x DDR5 DIMM slots. There are 4 expansion slots here: 3 x PCIe x16 and 1 x PCIe x1, as well as 4 x M.2 slots: 1 x Gen5 x4, 3 x Gen4 x4. The company uses an aluminum heatsink design that covers the entire front of the motherboard, which looks cool. Highlighted by the fact that there are zero -- pun intended -- power connectors or front I/O cables connected to the Z790 Project Zero motherboard. That's all on the back, folks.

AI is the future, and with news that Microsoft would be using "AI PC" branding in 2024, it makes sense that AMD is leaping forward with its "Advancing AI" event penciled in for December 6.

AMD has just scheduled its Advanced AI event for December 6 at 10 AM PST, 12 PM CST, or 1 PM EST, which we typically see held in a timeslot when data center products are unveiled by AMD. We should see AMD unveil its next-gen MI300X datacenter GPU, which makes sense... it'll be fighting against NVIDIA's monster H100 AI GPU.

But, I think leading into CES 2024, just weeks later, AMD is going to use the event to tease AI on regular Ryzen CPUs for gamers, content creators, and everyone in between. Given that AMD's own Senior Director for Gaming Marketing, Sasa Marinkovic, tweeted about the event... we could expect AI-related gaming news on December 6, and if that's just a tease, AI-powered content from AMD at CES 2024.

Windows 10 is set to see the arrival of Microsoft's Copilot AI according to insiders who spoke to Windows Central.

Zac Bowden is one of the most prolific Microsoft leakers out there, and he tells us that his sources assert that the plan is to bring Copilot to Windows 10 in an update that'll be released soon.

We're pretty shocked at the decision, considering that no so long ago, we were told that Windows 10 wouldn't get any more features at all - beyond small tweaks, anyway (and the obligatory security updates of course). And feature additions couldn't come any bigger than Copilot, it's the veritable centerpiece of the latest Windows 11 23H2 update.

Gamers shouldn't expect a new higher-powered Steam Deck any time soon--Valve's successor handheld is years away.

Valve just announced its new Steam Deck OLED for $549, and even though the new model features a shrunken 6nm SoC design and thermal/battery efficiencies, the device has no raw CPU or GPU performance upgrades over the OG Steam Deck.

With the new high-powered handheld PCs like the ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go entering the market, not to mention Nintendo's upgraded Switch 2 which may be capable of delivering 4K gaming through DLSS tech, Valve is pressured to follow-up with their own next-gen Steam Deck. After all, Valve helped standardize this new wave of PC handhelds.

Valve has announced a new Steam Deck OLED modelthat features a much higher-grade display and some nice improvements over the original handheld PC.

The new Steam Deck OLED starts at $549 for the 512GB NVMe SSD model and comes packed with upgrades. The biggest boost is the new 7.4-inch OLED panel with HDR capabilities, providing much more robust colors and hues while gaming. The OLED panel is still at the same 1280 x 800 resolution, but now features a refresh rate of up to 90Hz.

Under the hood, Valve has shrunken the Steam Deck's custom chip to 6nm, which falls in line with the recent die shrink that Sony has performed with its PlayStation 5 consoles (TSMC's N7 family includes both 7nm and 6nm, allowing for easy carry-over to the smaller chip design). The new 6nm SoC won't translate to any performance gains and the raw specs--CPU, GPU, and RAM--are all the same as the OG Steam Deck.

WB Games is a profitable business with a high return on investment, and remains an integral part of WB-Discovery's growth potential.

It wasn't so long ago when the gaming sphere speculated on a potential sale of WB Games following the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger. These reports were wrong, but now we have an idea of just how wrong they were. New comments from WBD boss David Zaslav underline just how important gaming is for the media giant, while also revealing very rare information on WB Games' overall performance.

In a recent Q3 2023 earnings call with investors, the WB Discovery CEO confirmed three key details about WB Games: 1) The interactive entertainment division has been profitable every year for the last 15 years; 2) WB Games has delivered strong operating income of $400 million for the past three years; and 3) the games segment is doubling-down on live services and F2P (think Suicide Squad: KIll the Justice League, DC Universe Online, and potentially a Harry Potter online game) in an effort to chase long-tailed monetization.

For those playing on Steam, Bethesda has released a Beta update for Starfield that finally adds official NVIDIA DLSS rendering support, including Frame Generation, to the game alongside a number of notable updates. This is the biggest post-launch update we've seen so far, and it also includes a quality-of-life update that will make exploration and scavenging for resources more manageable. Plus, the long overdue ability to adjust in-game Brightness, Contrast, and HDR settings.

"By popular request, we have added the ability to ingest food and drink items upon finding them in the environment," Bethesda writes. "You can enjoy those Chunks immediately or save them for later."

Munching on Chunks aside, the big addition is full NVIDIA DLSS support covering RTX technologies like DLSS Super Resolution, Deep Learning Anti-aliasing (DLAA), NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency, and DLSS Frame Generation. Although some of these features have been modded into the game on PC by the community, official support is very welcome. Interestingly, the update doesn't add support for AMD's FSR 3 tech, but Bethesda has noted that this will be added at a later date.

Alienware and Dell recently updated their custom PC lineup with the new Alienware Aurora R16 range that incorporates a brand-new look and feel with 14th-gen Intel CPUs and the latest in GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics. In a surprising move, Dell is now selling the previous Alienware Aurora R15 gaming desktops with a brand-new configuration featuring Intel Arc A770 16GB graphics cards.

Paired with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 13700F or higher CPU, this is the first all-in-one Alienware gaming desktop to feature Intel hardware for all processing. Surprisingly, the Intel Arc A770 16 GPU can be upgraded to a GeForce RTX 4070 for an additional USD $50 - which is a bargain when you factor in that the Intel Arc A770's performance sits below the GeForce RTX 4060.

The fact that Intel Arc A770 GPUs, even with 16GB of VRAM, can be picked up for under $300, and the USD $1,949.99 asking price for the all-Intel Alienware Aurora R15 gaming desktop feels a bit steep.

The Steam Hardware and Software Survey results for October 2023 are in, and it's very good news for NVIDIA - with its share of the total GPU market increasing by an impressive 5% compared to the September 2023 results. It's now 82.2%, with second-place AMD's market share rapidly declining from around 15% in September to 11.5% in October 2023.

For NVIDIA's current GeForce RTX 40 Series of GPUs, the Ada Lovelace generation is starting to make some major moves - with the most popular model in the lineup being the GeForce RTX 4070. It's sitting just outside the top ten, too, so odds are it'll crack the full ten GPUs out in the wild before the year ends. Especially if the recent discounts that brought the GeForce RTX 4070 price down to USD $549 hold.

The GeForce RTX 4070's popularity makes sense; it's one of the best value GPUs currently available - delivering excellent 1440p performance with next-level efficiency. The GeForce RTX 4070's position in the top GPUs is closely followed by the GeForce RTX 4060 and the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti.

A new report at TrendForce shares some not-so-bright news for the global SSD market, with shipments down 10.7% year-over-year. The report notes that SSD supply and demand issues have been normalized. However, with only 114 million SSDs shipped, the downward has affected the various flash memory and storage companies differently.

The top three SSD suppliers for 2022 were Kingston, ADATA, and Lexar, with Kingston and ADATA experiencing growth in market share compared to 2021. Kingston remains the global SSD market leader, with an impressive 28% share, followed by ADATA, with a 9% market share.

Also, the Chinese company Colorful "defied market trends" by making the top ten. The report explains the cost advantages of homegrown NAND Flash in the region have led to increased shipments.

Apple will have the high-end AR headset market all to itself in 2024 when it launches its new Vision Pro headset, but rumors that Samsung will enter the AR headset business with a new Galaxy AR design make sense, and we can't wait.

The unnamed Samsung AR headset is expected to hit users' heads in December 2024, but in very low numbers against even Apple's surely limited Vision Pro headsets in 2024. The codename of Samsung's new AR headset is "Infinite(muhan)" but it will most likely arrive in the retail form under the Galaxy branding umbrella.

Samsung has reportedly been testing AR headset prototypes with its in-house Exynos 2200 processor. Still, the design was totally generic and didn't hold a flame against the Apple Vision Pro headset. That version is gone, and a newer AR headset is being prototyped as we speak.

NVIDIA's industry-leading H100 Tensor Core GPUs have set new records in the latest industry-standard tests, flexing their AI GPU muscle in the latest MLPerf industry benchmarks.

The NVIDIA Eos AI supercomputer packs an incredible 10,752 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs and NVIDIA's Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking, which has just completed a training benchmark based on the GPT-3 model with 175 billion parameters trained on 1 billion tokens in just 3.9 minutes. It might not sound like much, but that's nearly 3x faster than the previous world record that NVIDIA set with 10.9 minutes. That's a full 7 minutes shaved off.

The MLPerf benchmark uses a part of the full GPT-3 data set that powers the super-popular ChatGPT service, with NVIDIA teasing its Eos AI supercomputer could train in just 8 days, which is a mind-blowing 73x faster than the previous state-of-the-art system powered by 512 NVIDIA A100 GPUs. The huge speed-up in training time means reduced costs, energy savings, and super-speeds the time-to-market for companies using NVIDIA H100 AI GPUs for their AI products.

This year, Corsair introduced its new iCUE LINK Smart Component Ecosystem to both simplify the DIY PC building process and add a little more style to the look and feel of a highly customized rig. The heart of iCue LINK is a System Hub that can synchronize and control up to 14 iCUE LINK devices. The best part is that the devices only need to be linked to each other (via two-way communication), significantly reducing cable clutter for a more elegant build. No more MOLEX connectors!

And with that, Corsair has introduced some new additions to its Hydro X Series that fully support the new iCUE LINK ecosystem - the new flagship iCUE LINK XD5 RGB ELITE LCD Pump/Reservoir and iCUE LINK XG7 RGB 40-Series GPU Water Blocks.

Designed for custom cooling loop systems, the Hydro X Series, with the addition of iCUE LINK, has just made the process of putting together one of those liquid and tube-filled rigs much easier. The results look incredible, and for me, a big part of the reason why I'm posting this is because the images supplied by Corsair are pure PC-building eye candy of the highest order.

AMD has just announced its latest game bundle, which will see Ryzen 7000 and Radeon RX 7000 series products purchased, including a free copy of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

The Avatar: Frontiers of Panodra game bundle has already started, running through to December 30 at 11:59 PM ET, with all product codes needing to be redeemed by January 27, 2024. If not, the coupon will expire, and you'll no longer be able to download or redeem your free copy of the game.

As for which Ryzen 7000 series and Radeon RX 7000 series products, a free copy of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is included with the following processors: Ryzen 9 7950X3D, Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X, Ryzen 9 7900 and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, meanwhile, on the GPU side of things, you'll get Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora for free with the following GPUs: the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, Radeon RX 7900 XT, Radeon RX 7900 GRE, Radeon RX 7800 XT, Radeon RX 7700 XT, and the Radeon RX 7600.

Remedy Entertainment has written a detailed article that showcases the Northlight engine technology that was used in Alan Wake 2 and arguably has some of the best graphics that have ever been created.

The developer said its Northlight team is super-excited to have Alan Wake 2 out in the wild, where they've created and polished off a lot of new technology just for Alan Wake 2 so that it doesn't just look amazing. It feels great to play. The article that Remedy has covering Northlight is just covering some of the pieces of technology it has perfected but teased that Northlight engineers will be "back with more in-depth topics in due course."

The Northlight team starts by talking about its new data-oriented game object framework during the development of Alan Wake 2, with a new entity component system (ECS) based model that enables memory-efficient storage and makes parallel execution efficient and safe.

LG has introduced a pair of new displays in its popular LG UltraGear gaming monitor lineup: the 45-inch LG UltraGear GR75DC (USD 899) and the 45-inch LG UltraGear GR65DC (USD 799). The Dual QHD resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels effectively means you're getting two 27-inch 1440p monitors in one, with the bonus of PBP (picture by picture) and PIP (picture in picture) modes for multiple devices.

UltraWide displays have become super popular in the PC gaming space in recent years, and the latest trend looks to be expanding the display real estate for added immersion. The 32:9 aspect ratio of these new displays is noticeably wider than the 21:9 aspect ratio of most Ultrawide monitors.

As for the technology, the only difference between the two variants is that one has a USB-C device and display port with up to 90W power delivery, and the other doesn't. Both feature curved VA panels with a 200 Hz refresh rate, 1ms GtG response times, and FreeSync Premium Pro adaptive sync support.