Processors

Apple launched its new M5 processor inside of its new MacBook Pro laptops recently, but the more powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max will power 2026 MacBook Pros, with the M5 Max and monster M5 Ultra processors will power new Mac Studios in 2026.

In a new report from Mark Gurman on Bloomberg, he reports that 2026 is shaping up to be a "massive year for the Mac lineup". First, Apple will release its new MacBook Pro laptops with faster M5 Pro and M5 Max versions, a new M5 MacBook Air, and beefy new Mac Studios powered with the M5 Max, and the flagship M5 Ultra processor.

In the second half of the year, Apple is poised to release its next-gen M6 processor as well as a new low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro laptop. After that, we'll see a new wave of M6 Pro and M6 Max MacBook Pro laptops with new OLED displays, a thinner chassis, and touch support.

AMD is still preparing its next-gen Zen 6 processors, but we have a juicy leak on its future-gen Zen 7 chips, where we can expect huge performance uplifts across the board, up to 32C/64T @ up to 7.0GHz, and an insane amount of V-Cache that will battle Intel in the CPU business in 2027/2028.

In a new video from leaker Moore's Law is Dead, we have a bunch of new details regarding AMD's future-gen Zen 7 "Grimlock Ridge" desktop CPUs, as well as information on EPYC Zen 7 "Steamboat" and the Zen 7-based "Grimlock Halo" APUs, and so much more.

AMD's future-gen Zen 7 will reportedly have around a 15-30% performance uplift in single-threaded applications over Zen 6, while a huge 50-67% uplift in multi-threading over Zen 6. This means that Zen 7 desktop could be over 50% faster in single-threaded applications than Zen 5, and possibly over 150% faster in multi-threading than Zen 5.

Intel's family of Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" CPUs will include 14 new processors, and now we've got final clock speed details, which will max out at up to 5.1GHz frequencies.

In a new post on X by leaker @Jaykihn, the insider posted a list of 14 new Panther Lake CPUs in four different segments that include the top 4+8+4 (CPU cores) SKUs that pack 12 Xe3 GPU cores, the 4+4+ SKUs that feature 10 Xe3 GPU cores, and 4+0+4 SKUs for mainstream platforms, and then the entry-level 2+0+4 SKUs.

Intel's new flagship Panther Lake CPU for laptops will be the new Core Ultra X9 388H processor, with the full die packing 4 x Cougar Cove P-Cores, 8 x Darkmont E-Cores, and 4 x Darkmont LP-E Cores. We're expecting to see maximum CPU clock speeds of up to 5.1GHz, with 12 GPU cores from the new Xe3 -- which should end up being named Arc B390 -- with GPU clock speeds of between 2.5GHz and 3.0GHz.

A new 3D V-Cache powered Zen 5 CPU from AMD has been spotted on PassMark, with a mysterious new benchmark result appearing for an unannounced Ryzen 7 9700X3D processor. The listing provides some specifications on the new CPU, indicating that it's an eight-core, 16-thread CPU based on AMD's Zen 5 architecture, featuring 96MB of L3 cache and a boost clock speed of 5.8 GHz.

With AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D being one of the best-selling CPUs and one of the best processors for PC gaming performance, it would make sense for AMD to release a Ryzen 7 9700X3D with slightly lower clocks but the same fantastic gaming performance, similar to the AM4-based Ryzen 7 5700X3D. And yes, this would mean a lower price point that would appeal to a broader audience.

Interestingly, the PassMark results for the Ryzen 7 9700X3D, which include a single-threaded score of 4,687 and a multi-threaded score of 40,438 points, sit slightly higher than the 9800X3D. The reason for this could be attributed to the specific result and the overclocked CPU, and the final retail 9700X3D version is expected to ship with a lower boost clock speed.

AMD is reportedly cooking up a new "Strix Halo" APU with the purported Ryzen AI Max+ 388 processor spotted, an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 5 processor with half the CPU cores than the flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395, but with the same powerful integrated Radeon 8060S GPU.

The new AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 processor is another member of the "Strix Halo" APU family, which will join the Ryzen AI Max 300 series chips including the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 390, 385, and 380. The new Ryzen AI Max+ 388 processor has the same CPU core count as the entry-level 385 variant, but has the GPU core count of the flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395.

It will feature 8 cores and 16 threads of Zen 5 processing power, with up to 5.0GHz CPU clock speeds, while on the graphics side of things, the Ryzen AI Max+ 388 processor ships with 40 Compute Units, the same number of RDNA 3.5-based GPU cores as the flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395.

Apple is reportedly making new Mac Studio systems that will be powered by its much higher-end M5 Max or flagship M5 Ultra processors, using next-level advanced packaging technologies from TSMC.

In a new post on Bloomberg from Mark Gurman, he says that the M5 Ultra processor will indeed launch in 2026, and it'll be alongside the launch period of Apple's new low-cost MacBook laptop, which is meant to drop in the first half of 2026. But first, Apple will unveil and launch its new M5 Pro and M5 Max processors, offering more CPU and GPU cores than the base M5 processor that just launched.

Apple used a multi-die design with the M3 Ultra, where it combined two M3 Max chips linked through its in-house UltraFusion connector, but hasn't done that with the M4 series as there is no M4 Ultra processor. In recent news (with more details in the links above), we heard that Apple's beefier M5 Pro and M5 Max processors will feature separate CPU and GPU blocks, allowing Apple to mix-and-match CPU and GPU core counts far differently than it has in the past.

AMD has detailed in a new security bulletin a critical CPU vulnerability that has been labeled "AMD-SB-7055," and can be traced to the RDSEED hardware-based random number generator.

Modern CPUs include hardware instructions such as RDRAND and RDSEED to generate random numbers directly from silicon. These random numbers are then utilized by software and the operating system for cryptographic functions such as generating encryption keys, tokens, or secure session IDs.

For example, RDRAND produces pseudo-random numbers that are from an entropy pool, while RDSEED produces raw entropy, otherwise known as the "seed", which is then used to construct cryptographically secure random number generators.

Apple might have just released its next-gen M5 processor inside of new MacBook Pro laptops, but the previous-gen M4 Max chip is a powerful SoC that has been benchmarked in Alan Wake 2 at 80FPS average.

Reddit user u/oyskionline has posted about using his 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the Apple M4 Max processor, which sports a 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU, where he used CrossOver to play Alan Wake 2. However, not even a year ago, this was not possible. CrossOver has had a bunch of updates and optimizations over the last year, and with Remedy already delivering Control 2 to Apple Silicon-powered Macs, Alan Wake 2 ported over is running well.

The user ran his M4 Max-powered MacBook Pro and Alan Wake 2 at an average of 80FPS using an internal resolution of 1800 x 1169, and in-game graphics settings set to High. MetalFX upscaling was used on the Balanced preset, and Frame Generation was turned on, but we're probably seeing the AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation mod being used on Alan Wake 2 and the M4 Max-powered laptop.

Samsung's next-gen Exynos 2600 processor for its new Galaxy S26 smartphones next year will be the first 2nm GAA chipset fabbed by Samsung, and the first Galaxy smartphone to be powered by an in-house processor since the S22 series in 2022.

The new Samsung Exynos 2600 processor has been slowly going through benchmark leaks, where a few days ago it was compared against Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. New tests have been revealed, tested against Apple's new flagship A19 Pro processor, with the Exynos 2600 being up to 59% more power efficient thanks to Samsung's new in-house 2nm GAA process node.

In new results shared by @SPYGO19726 on X with a purported Exynos 2600 prototype, running Geekbench 6 with both single-core and multi-core tests, looking at the power efficiency of the chip in particular. Samsung's new Exynos 2600 processor consumes just 7.6W running the Geekbench 6 multi-core test, and just 3.6W with the single-core run.

The best gaming CPU on the planet is now available at cheaper than MSRP pricing, with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor dropping to $439.99 in the US at Microcenter and Black Friday sales.

This is definitely one of the best deals right now for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which has a $479 MSRP, as it offers 8 cores and 16 threads of Zen 5 processing power, and second-generation 3D V-Cache from AMD. The folks at Wccftech spotted the 9800X3D deal, but Microcenter also has a bundle that includes the 9800X3D, plus the ASUS B650E-E TUF Gaming WiFi motherboard, which costs $529.99.

That's not a bad deal if you want to upgrade your system with a kickass CPU, and a decent motherboard for just $530. The 9800X3D will work on a huge range of AM5 motherboards using the entry-level A620 chipset, up to the flagship X870E motherboards. There will be more Black Friday sales to come, but the $440 pricing on the 9800X3D is a fantastic early Black Friday deal.

AMD is reportedly preparing another Zen 4 processor with X3D cache, with rumors that the company is about to release a new 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 chip with 3D V-Cache technology.

In a new post on X from leaker @momomo_us, we're hearing that UK distributor West Coast has listed a new SKU on its CPU website with a new model name and product code: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D. In the screenshot above, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D processor has product code "100-000001904" which looks to be a slightly cut-down version than the Ryzen 5 7600X3D that launched in 2024.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D from last year was initially exclusive to Microcenter in the US, but later reached the shores of China and the EMEA markets, but there's no news on the new 7500X3D being a US-exclusive or worldwide launch just yet.

Intel will officially launch its next-gen Panther Lake CPUs for laptops at CES 2026, but its upcoming mid-range Core Ultra 5 338H processor has been spotted on Geekbench with new Arc B370 integrated graphics that keep up with the RDNA 3.5-based AMD Radeon 880M inside of the Strix Point APU.

The new Intel Core Ultra 5 338H processor will feature two clusters of cores with a 4+8 configuration according to recent leaks, with the upcoming 12-core "Panther Lake" processor featuring 4 P-Cores, 4 E-Cores, and 4 LP-E Cores in total. Base CPU clocks on the Geekbench reveal tease 1.90GHz with a boost of close to 3.7GHz -- but this is too low -- previous leaks pointed towards 4.8GHz boost clocks on the 338H.

The Geekbench results tease an integrated Xe3 GPU with 10 cores, with the model number "Arc B370" which was tested inside of Geekbench's built-in Vulkan test, spitting out 39,406 points. This means it's pretty close to the RDNA 3.5-powered Radeon 880M inside of AMD's Strix Point APU, which scores around 42,760 points, and the Radeon 890M inside of Strix Halo is far out and ahead, with 47,227 points.

AMD is reportedly cooking up some rather delicious new CPUs with the purported Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 and Ryzen 7 9850X3D2 processors, with new rumors suggesting they won't be launching until early 2026.

In his latest video, leaker Moore's Law is Dead has reached out to a few of his sources who have said that the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 and Ryzen 7 9850X3D2 processors are indeed coming, and that final specs are "very close" to the recent leaks. The sources said that full availability wouldn't happen until Q1 2026, with this particular source saying they'd be "surprised if it even paper launched before December".

AMD's purported Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 processor would roll-out as a mega version of the current Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 (that "2" is important) as it'll feature the same 16 cores and 32 threads of Zen 5 processing power, but a larger chunk -- double -- the X3D CCD cache, with a total of 192MB cache. The new 9950X3D2 is also poised to feature a higher 200W TDP, so we should expect some mega overclocks from the new chip when it's released.

NVIDIA will be releasing its Arm-based N1X and N1 processors in 2026, competing directly against CPU giants AMD and Intel, and while the N1X + N1 were meant to be released this year, we can expect a probable launch at Computex 2026.

In a new video from leaker Moore's Law is Dead, who reports from a couple of his sources -- a major OEM and an NVIDIA partner -- N1X and N1 processors will be launched "by the middle of 2026". The first source said: "Just got word (major OEM) that NVIDIA N1X + N1 products will launch by the middle of 2026. Technically, from what I can see in documentation, both products are listed for notebooks... although I was told there could be some form of desktop launch too!"

MLID's second source said: "Yes, I (NVIDIA partner) can confirm that NVIDIA will launch their APUs to consumers by Q2 for sure because Alienware is targeting Q1 for the launch of a 16-inch laptop that utilizes them!"

Apple's new M5 MacBook Pro laptop is severely overheating in new tests, with the new M5-powered MacBook Pro only cooled by a single fan, the M5 chip is hitting 99C under load.

This isn't out of nowhere as Apple's previous-gen M4 MacBook Pro can easily pass 100C+ under loads, but the new M5 MacBook Pro has the same thermal solution as its predecessor. In a new video, YouTuber Max Tech takes a deeper look at both the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro and the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, with some rather surprising results.

While running Cinebench 2024, Max Tech discovered that the thermal solution inside of the new Apple M5-powered MacBook Pro couldn't keep the M5 cool enough. However, the M5 version of the MacBook Pro runs cooler than the M4 version of the MacBook Pro, but we're talking 1-2C which is really nothing at the end of the day.

Intel will have depleted its CPU inventory in the next few months, running out of processors to sell, as demand right now is reportedly higher than anticipated.

Intel CFO David Zinsner spoke with Barron's after its Q3 2025 earnings call, saying that the company is facing a "chip supply" shortage, for both consumer and data center processors. This isn't expected to stop and will continue rolling into Q1 2026, where by then, "chip inventories" will have been depleted -- zilch, nada, gone -- which is a major concern.

Firstly, it means Intel is somehow selling every single processor it is having made (by TSMC) and soon in-house (Intel 18A). Secondly, it means that even with AMD kicking its ass on every front, somehow, Intel is selling its processors so fast, it will run out of inventory in the months ahead. It all feels very strange to me, as there are only a handful of Intel products that I can see consumers willingly buying over an AMD processor (like the Core Ultra 9 285K in some scenarios, even then, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D kicks its ass in gaming).

Apple's next-gen A20 Pro chip is reportedly called "Borneo Ultra" and its A20 non-Pro is called "Borneo", ready to power the next-gen iPhone 18 and foldable iPhone in 2026, fabbed on TSMC's bleeding-edge 2nm process node.

The codenames are coming from Weibo tipster "Mobile phone chip expert" who claims they had dinner with a friend of theirs, who happens to be the IC design boss at Apple. Over dinner, the two discussed the new iPhone and its A-series processor, where we're finding out that the A20 Pro is dubbed "Borneo Ultra" and the A20 dubbed "Borneo".

The base iPhone 18 should be powered by the regular A20 "Borneo", while the higher-end iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone, will be powered by the A20 Pro "Borneo Ultra" processor.

Intel will fully release its next-gen Panther Lake CPUs at CES 2026 in just a couple of months' time, with new premium flagship laptop designs shown off in Las Vegas, the first chip Intel will fab and mass produce for consumers on its new in-house Intel 18A process node.

Intel hosted its Q3 2025 earnings call this week with CEO Lip-Bu Tan outlining his plans for the company over the next 18 months or so, with the laptop-ready Panther Lake CPUs dropping at CES 2026 as the new Core Ultra Series 300 family. The first SKUs will be higher-end premium options, but as Intel 18A continues to ramp, Panther Lake will debut in cheaper variants.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan explained: "In addition, and just as important, the group will spearhead the build out of a new basic and design service business to deliver purpose-built silicon to a broad range of external customers. This will not only extend the reach of our core x86 IP, but also leverage our design strength to deliver an array of solutions from general purpose to fixed function computing. In client, we are on track to launch our first Panther Lake SKU by year end, followed by additional SKUs in the first half of next year".

Intel will be launching its next-generation Nova Lake CPUs in 2026, its next-gen processor family for the desktop, with up to 52 cores, its upgraded Xe3 GPU, and fabbed on Intel's new Intel 18A process node.

During the Q3 2025 earnings call, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan talked about his plans for moving the company forward in its client, server, and foundry-side businesses. The CEO reaffirmed some of the things we already know like its new Panther Lake CPUs fabbed on its new Intel 18A node launching at CES 2026 with a full unveiling, unlike the tease and small details from its recent Tech Tour 2025 event.

However, he did say that Intel is reaffirming the high-end processor market is an intense battlefield, but there are things in the pipeline for that. First, the company will be launching its refreshed Arrow Lake CPUs under the Core Ultra 200S Plus processors on its current LGA 1851 socket, but after that comes Nova Lake-S on the new LGA 1954 socket -- meaning new motherboards and CPUs -- in the second half of 2026, with a new architecture, software changes, and more.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is currently celebrating the first Blackwell wafer to be produced at TSMC's Arizona facility, and while that is a substantial achievement, the Arizona facility doesn't have all the necessary tools to complete the product, meaning those newly produced chips need to be shipped elsewhere.

If your first guess for the destination of the chips you are correct. Yes, after producing the Blackwell wafer on American soil, as per the plan of US President Donald Trump, it will still need the magic touch of TSMC Taiwan, as the Blackwell wafer will remain in its most rudimentary state until it's shipped back to Taiwan where it will undergo an assembly process that turns the wafer into the usable chips tech companies, and PC gamers around the world are after.

Here's how it works. NVIDIA's Blackwell family of data center chips features two reticle-sized compute dies and eight stacks of HBM3e memory. To connect all these components together, TSMC implements a stitching process that it calls Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate, or CoWoS. Essentially, this process stitches all of the components together to form the Blackwell datacenter chip, and currently, the only facilities capable of carrying out the CoWoS process are located in Taiwan.