A conglomerate of Japanese hardware outlets has tested Intel's latest batch of Raptor Lake Refresh desktop processors—their findings arrived in the form of a YouTube video (viewable below). The lowly Intel 300 CPU was sampled as part of PAD's lab tests—this 14th generation model serves as a natural successor to Team Blue's Pentium Gold G7400 processor. Pentium and Celeron brands were retired in the "essential product space" in 2022, along with the introduction of a replacement: simple "Intel Processor" in a light blue color scheme.

Expectations are not set very high for a two-core, 4-thread CPU in modern times—some news outlets believe that this an Alder Lake part (AKA a frequency tweaked Pentium Gold G7400), despite being launched alongside many Raptor Lake Refresh parts. The Intel 300 sports two Raptor Cove P-cores with hyper-threading capabilities—base performance is set at 3.9 GHz, with no provisions for boosting above that figure. The rest of its basic specs consist of a 46 W TDP and 6 MB of L3 cache (3 MB on each core). Team Blue's Core i3-14100 quad core CPU sits just above the 300 in the latest batch of 14th Gen—naturally, the former pulls ahead of the latter in synthetic benchmarks. PC Watch and Co. tests present a maximum 55% multi-core performance gap between the two lower end options, although the single-threaded difference was measured 13% (in Cinebench).

Intel has reportedly rolled out its China market-exclusive Core i7-14790F "Black Edition" CPU—MEGAsizeGPU tweeted out an initial glimpse of the decidedly not-very-Team-Blue outer packaging. A Core i7-14700F desktop processor was included in an announced list at CES 2024 and launched via global retail channels a few days ago, but its somewhat similarly monikered "Black Edition" appears to be region specific (also notably absent from last week's trade show). Intel's Core i7-14790F's nomenclature would suggest that its sits just a little bit above the i7-14700F in Raptor Lake Refresh's hierarchy, but the "Black Edition" specifications paint an odd picture. As noted by Tom's Hardware: "This CPU has an odd configuration since it has fewer cores and more cache than the Core i7-14700F, contrary to what its SKU would imply to be a higher-spec variant. "

The Core i7-14790K is currently priced at 2909 RMB (on JD.com) which converts to ~$410 (USD). The Core i7-14700F's asking price is roughly ten dollars more, which nets you a 16-core processor that packs 8 performance cores, 12 efficiency cores and 28 threads. Chinese buyers are presented with the slightly cheaper Core i7-14790F and its curiosity specs: 16 total cores comprised of 8 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores and 24 threads. Both F-models share the same list of clock speeds, but the Black Edition does slightly better with an overall total of 36 MB Intel Smart Cache (versus 33 MB)—in turn it loses out in L2 cache designation (24 vs. 28 MB). Tom's Hardware has kindly assembled a comparison table (see below).

AMD concentrated on the promotion of new Zen 4-based APU products at last week's CES trade show, and they even lobbed in a couple of new Zen 3 offerings for PC enthusiasts who are more than happy to stick with Team Red's last generation AM4 socket. Future-focused folks were a little bit disappointed with Team Red keeping quiet about their next-generation "Zen 5" CPUs at CES 2024—one seeker of information, Peter Weltzmaier, turned to a notorious source of hardware leaks on X. Kepler has a decent track record of providing accurate inside tracks—and they more than happy to address Weltzmaier's query regarding the status of AMD's upcoming "Granite Ridge" desktop CPU series.

Kepler believes that Granite Ridge has reached the mass production phase, but did not provide any further elaboration beyond a brief reply on social media—this information should be taken with a grain of salt. We have not heard a lot about Granite Ridge processors since last November, with AMD choosing to not preview next-gen desktop processors at a December "Advancing AI" event. The rumor mill proposed that XDNA-based Ryzen AI acceleration will not be a key feature present on Granite Ridge and a mobile-oriented derivative called "Fire Ridge."

ASUS IoT, the global AIoT solution provider, today announced the launch of industry-leading ultra-compact edge computers and embedded boards with the all-new Intel Core Ultra processors. This lineup comprises the C7146ES-IM-AA, C5143ES-IM-AA single-board computer (SBC), EBS-S500W edge computer and PE2200U ultra-compact fanless embedded computer - offering AI-ready CPU, GPU and NPU enhancements, coupled with remarkable power efficiency. These solutions cater to a wide range of applications such as smart retail, traffic analysis, medical imaging, utility management and edge AI, exemplifying ASUS IoT's commitment to enabling next-generation AI capabilities at the edge.

"ASUS IoT is proud to present our leading solutions to the market, enabling easy deployment of next-generation AI capabilities at the edge," said KuoWei Chao, General Manager of ASUS IoT Business Group. "By collaborating with Intel, ASUS IoT solutions can provide faster AI results, support more media streams per device and ensure long-term value through product longevity."

During the CES 2024 show, EK unveiled an exciting new addition to their premium all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler lineup—the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB. As the name suggests, this new 360 mm AIO water cooler is purpose-built for direct die cooling of delidded Intel LGA1700 CPUs. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die stands out with its custom cold plate and mounting mechanism, which are exclusively engineered for exposed CPU dies. The nickel-plated copper base ensures compatibility with liquid metal TIMs like the included Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, which comes in the package. EK has worked with der8auer to provide delidding service kits and tools to facilitate easy DIY removal of the integrated heat spreader (IHS).

The package also contains a contact frame and protective foam for safe liquid metal application. At the heart of the cooler is a powerful AIO pump EK co-developed with the OEM manufacturer, meaning it is not an off-the-shelf pump found in other AIOs and is capable of up to 500 L/h flow rate. The reinforced, sleeved rubber tubing is fitted with aluminium covers for durability. Integrated omnilink connectors allow daisy chaining of the three included 120 mm D-RGB fans for cable management. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die offers extensive RGB lighting customization with illuminated circle accents on the removable pump top covers. The diamond-cut brushed aluminium side panels and radiator cowl add to the premium aesthetic. The new AIO will be available for the Intel LGA1700 platform, with hopefully more versions later. The EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB is now available for pre-order at €202.90 MSRP price tag.

Thermaltake has unveiled and launched its newest ASTRIA Series air coolers at CES 2024 show, including ASTRIA 200, ASTRIA 400, and ASTRIA 600 ARGB coolers. The entire ASTRIA ARGB series is equipped with the new CT120 ARGB fans. According to Thermaltake, the CT102 ARGB fan can provide an airflow of 65 CFM with 2.56 mm-H2O static pressure at a maximum noise level of 26.8 dBA. The ASTRIA ARGB Series is based on the standard tower design, where the ASTRIA 200 ARGB and ASTRIA 400 ARGB stick to a single-tower, single-fan design, while the ASTRIA 600 ARGB uses a dual-tower, dual-fan design. The ASTRIA 200 ARGB uses four 6 mm U-shaped heatpipes, while ASTRIA 400 ARGB and ASTRIA 600 ARGB feature six of the same heatpipes.

The entire lineup support the latest Intel and AMD sockets, and can support up to 210 W, 230 W, and 265 W TDP CPUs, respectively. What makes the ASTRIA ARGB cooler lineup special is th fact that you can adjust the fan position to align it with the height of memory, providing some additional flexibility with installation. The ASTRIA ARGB cooler lineup also features the new Meteor Shower lighting effects, thanks to 18 LEDs located on the top cover and sync them with 9 LEDs on the CT120 ARBG fans.

At CES 2024 in Las Vegas, case maker InWin displayed several innovative new models for custom PC builds. The company continues its reputation for eye-catching designs with the debut of the adjustable flatpack POC One case and highly modular Mini Mod-II and Mod-III chassis. The POC One features interlocking panels for easy snap-together assembly, an advancement over the original April-launched POC line. It includes repositionable top or side handles for portable or horizontal setups. Using a mix of aluminium, other metals, and acrylic, the POC One initially comes in black/orange or blue/silver styles. Despite its minimalist flatpack form, it fits full-size components like 335 mm long triple-slot GPUs, 140 mm tall CPU coolers, and standard ATX power supplies. Three PCIe slots and an included riser allow vertical graphics card mounting.

Acer today announced the Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-72) gaming laptop, unlocking improved performance, immersive experiences, plus essential features for playing and multi-tasking on the go. The device is powered by the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors, featuring Intel's Performance Hybrid Architecture with improved power and core frequencies to manage workloads efficiently. At the same time, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. Built with Microsoft Copilot and the next wave of computing, the Nitro laptop provides access to Copilot in Windows via a dedicated Copilot key, making it even easier to harness the power of AI to assist with productivity and creativity tasks.

Users can feast their eyes on immersive visuals and pristine colors on the device's 17-inch QHD display with a fast 165 Hz[1] refresh rate and support for the NVIDIA Advanced Optimus feature. The Nitro 17 is further supported by an advanced cooling system, AI-assisted communication features, and NitroSense software for full device control. To top it all off, the Windows 11 gaming laptop is shipped with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of high-quality games to be explored with friends on PC, console, or cloud.

Today marks the launch of not just two new incredibly well-designed NAS devices, but also two new features brand new to the ASUSTOR line of NAS devices with ARM processors. The introduction of the Drivestor 2 Pro Gen2 and Drivestor 4 Pro Gen2 come with an upgraded SoC, providing 21% more performance, which increases read and write speeds and performance for the features and apps available for the Drivestor Pro Gen2. The Drivestor Pro Gen2 series comes with 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet, hot-swappable hard drive bays, hardware transcoding, tool-free design and more! The upgraded iGPU found in the Drivestor Pro Gen2 now gives even better performance when transcoding multimedia.

The all-new Drivestor Pro Gen2 series comes with a new killer feature. Btrfs is now supported on the Drivestor Pro Gen2, a first for ASUSTOR NAS devices running ARM CPUs. Btrfs helps protect data by enabling snapshots of data at certain points in time and is able to rewind the clock should any unintentional modifications be made and restore data if needed.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16, the latest in an illustrious lineup of supremely powerful thin-and-light gaming laptops. These machines feature a new CNC-machined aluminium chassis, a customizable Slash Lighting array, and a brand-new Platinum White colorway, while cutting-edge AI accelerated silicon from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA stand ready to push gamers and creators to new heights of performance. Both the Zephyrus G14 and G16 come equipped with the ROG Nebula Display, stunningly color-accurate OLED panels that are also G-SYNC capable for incredible gaming experiences. Ultra-efficient cooling technology, including tri-fan technology, liquid metal, and vapor chambers on select models enable the Zephyrus G14 and G16 to breathe easily despite their ultra-portable designs.

Brand-new chassis design
The 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 have been completely redesigned inside and out. Both machines boast all-new and all-aluminium CNC-machined chassis for the perfect mix of weight reduction, structural rigidity, and increased chassis space. This allows for an edge-to-edge keyboard design, as well as the inclusion of larger and louder speakers with superior bass response down to 100 Hz. The speakers are 25% larger than the previous generation, with a 47% volume increase for more immersive audio experiences than ever before. The Zephyrus G14 and G16 also come with larger individual keycaps and a larger touchpad, for superior typing, precision scrolling, and fluid gaming. Both the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 ship with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of great games.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Strix family of laptops, including the Strix SCAR 18, the first 18-inch ROG laptop equipped with the mini LED ROG Nebula HDR Display. As the vanguard of gaming laptops, all 2024 Strix machines feature the latest flagship Intel Core i9 processor 14900HX, with the Strix SCAR 16 and SCAR 18 sporting up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 175 W max TGP. Paired with a complete suite of the latest intelligent cooling improvements, including Tri-Fan technology and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU, the 2024 Strix family of laptops has arrived to dominate the competition.

Brilliant detail
This year marks the introduction of the first ROG 18-inch display powered by Mini LED technology. HDR content and games have arrived on the big screen with the arrival of the 2024 Strix SCAR 18, with its Nebula HDR Display boasting over 2000 discrete dimming zones and 1100 nits of peak brightness. On an 18-inch panel, this dimming zone density coupled with the ROG Nebula HDR Engine minimizes blooming and haloing even in challenging scenes, giving the Strix SCAR 18 incredibly vivid HDR performance.

Discover the future of CPU cooling technology with Cooler Master's V8 3DVC. Engineered for high-performance, it features advanced superconductive heat pipes and a redesigned vapor chamber, offering unparalleled cooling efficiency. Perfect for demanding CPUs, it promises top-notch performance and sleek aesthetics. Tune in to explore how the V8 3DVC sets new benchmarks in cooling solutions.

Why Choose the V8 3DVC
The V8 3DVC is more than just a cooling solution; it's a testament to Cooler Master's commitment to innovation and quality. Whether you're a gamer, a creative professional, or a tech enthusiast, this cooler is designed to deliver exceptional performance, reliability, and style.

According to the report from a journal called Fundamental Research, researchers from the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a 256-core multi-chiplet processor called Zhejiang Big Chip, with plans to scale up to 1,600 cores by utilizing an entire wafer. As transistor density gains slow, alternatives like multi-chiplet architectures become crucial for continued performance growth. The Zhejiang chip combines 16 chiplets, each holding 16 RISC-V cores, interconnected via network-on-chip. This design can theoretically expand to 100 chiplets and 1,600 cores on an advanced 2.5D packaging interposer. While multi-chiplet is common today, using the whole wafer for one system would match Cerebras' breakthrough approach. Built on 22 nm process technology, the researchers cite exascale supercomputing as an ideal application for massively parallel multi-chiplet architectures.

Careful software optimization is required to balance workloads across the system hierarchy. Integrating near-memory processing and 3D stacking could further optimize efficiency. The paper explores lithography and packaging limits, proposing hierarchical chiplet systems as a flexible path to future computing scale. While yield and cooling challenges need further work, the 256-core foundation demonstrates the potential of modular designs as an alternative to monolithic integration. China's focus mirrors multiple initiatives from American giants like AMD and Intel for data center CPUs. But national semiconductor ambitions add urgency to prove domestically designed solutions can rival foreign innovation. Although performance details are unclear, the rapid progress shows promise in mastering modular chip integration. Combined with improving domestic nodes like the 7 nm one from SMIC, China could easily create a viable Exascale system in-house.

With our XPS portfolio, we have a long history of taking risks, being inquisitive and asking big design questions. At CES 2022, we showcased our vision of the future with XPS 13 Plus—an elegant and modern device, designed with simplicity at the core. The design turned heads and continues to do so today, with headlines calling it elegant, stylish, stunning, beautiful and our personal favorite—referring to the design as "the future is here."

This bold design has forever changed the ID of the XPS brand. Now, we are unifying the design across our XPS portfolio, introducing new screen sizes with the XPS 16 and XPS 14 and revamping the XPS 13 Plus to XPS 13. This trio of laptops share elements that eliminate distractions and place the focus on productivity.

Chinese x86 CPU developer Zhaoxin is working on adding support in the Linux kernel for scheduling optimization on its processors featuring "preferred cores." Similar to asymmetric core designs from Intel and AMD, Zhaoxin's chips may have specific higher-performance cores the OS scheduler should target for critical workloads. To enable this, Zhaoxin has proposed Linux patches leveraging existing ACPI functionality to indicate per-core differences in max frequency or capabilities. The CPUfreq driver is updated to reflect this, allowing the scheduler to favor the designated high-performance cores when assigning threads and processes. This ensures tasks can dynamically take advantage of the faster cores to maximize performance. The approach resembles tuned scheduling, aware of core topology and heterogeneity already found in Intel and AMD processors.

Zhaoxin's patches don't specify which existing or upcoming CPUs will expose preferred core hints. The company likely wants the functionality in place for future server-class products where asymmetric designs make sense for efficiency. The new code contribution reflects Zhaoxin's broader upstreaming effort around Linux kernel support for its Yongfeng server CPU family. Robust open-source foundations are crucial for gaining developer mindshare and data center adoption. Adding sophisticated features like preferred core scheduling indicates that Zhaoxin's chips are maturing from essential x86 compatibility to more refined performance optimization. While still trailing Intel and AMD in cores and clocks, closing the software ecosystem and efficiency gap remains key to competitiveness. Ongoing Linux enablement work is laying the groundwork for more capable Zhaoxin silicon.

In the era of high-tech development and the ever-increasing demand for data processing power, data centers are consuming more energy and generating excess heat. As a global leader in thermal solutions, SUNON is at the forefront, offering a diverse range of cutting-edge liquid cooling solutions tailored to advanced data centers equipped with high-capacity CPU and GPU computing for AI, edge, and cloud servers.

SUNON's liquid cooling design services are ideally suited for modern data centers, generative AI computing, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. These solutions are meticulously customized to fit the cooling space and server density of each data center. With their compact yet comprehensive design, they guarantee exceptional cooling efficiency and reliability, ultimately contributing to a significant reduction in a client's total cost of ownership (TCO) in the long term. In the pursuit of net-zero emissions standards, SUNON's liquid cooling solutions play a pivotal role in enhancing corporate sustainability. They o ff er a win-win scenario for clients seeking to transition toward greener and more digitalized operations.

Courtesy of serial leaker @momomo_us we now have an indication on potential pricing for AMD's upcoming 8000G-series of APUs for the AM5 socket. The Ryzen 8000G-series APUs are expected to use the same CPU cores as AMD's Zen 4 based Ryzen 7000-series CPUs, but paired with a new I/O design in a monolithic die. The leaker has provided pricing from what is said to be three different shops and for three different SKUs, with the Ryzen 5 7600 as the reference point in all three cases. All three shops list the Ryzen 5 7600 at a higher price than Amazon, so it's unlikely that we're looking at MSRP pricing here.

The Ryzen 5 8500G has a price range of US$190-240, followed by the Ryzen 5 8600G which comes in at US$240-310 and finally the Ryzen 7 8700G which is listed at US$340-440. The price span is rather large, which makes it impossible to draw any conclusions of what the MSRP will be. Tom's hardware managed to dig up a pair of retailers, including what appears to be the one with the lowest pricing in the leak, which is DirectDial. The other retailer that Tom's Hardware located was Zones, but that pricing doesn't match any of the initial leaks, but are somewhat towards the higher numbers. AMD is expected to announce the new series of APUs at CES early next year.

Chinese company Sipeed has introduced the Lichee Pocket 4A, one of the first handheld gaming devices based on the RISC-V open-source instruction set architecture (ISA). Sipeed positions the device as a retro gaming platform capable of running simple titles via software rendering or GPU acceleration. At its core is Alibaba's T-Head TH1520 processor featuring four 2.50 GHz Xuantie C910 RISC-V general-purpose CPU cores and an unnamed Imagination GPU. The chip was originally aimed at laptop designs. Memory options include 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 32 GB or 128 GB of storage. The Lichee Pocket 4A has a 7-inch 1280x800 LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and an array of wired ports like USB and Ethernet. It weighs under 500 grams. The device can run Android or Linux distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, and others.

As an early RISC-V gaming entrant, performance expectations should be modest—the focus is retro gaming and small indie titles, not modern AAA games. Specific gaming capabilities remain to be fully tested. However, the release helps showcase RISC-V's potential for consumer electronics and competitive positioning against proprietary ISAs like ARM. Pricing is still undefined, but another Sipeed handheld console retails for around $250 currently. Reception from enthusiasts and developers will demonstrate whether there's a viable market for RISC-V gaming devices. Success could encourage additional hardware experimentation efforts across emerging open architectures. With a 6000 mAh battery, battery life should be decent. Other specifications can be seen in the table below, and the pre-order link is here.

The Ryzen 7040 Series processor in Framework Laptop 16 is capable of running at a sustained 45 W TDP (Thermal Design Power) and we put together an excellent thermal solution to ensure it can do that while keeping CPU temperature, touch temperatures, and fan noise to a minimum. That 45 watts of CPU power needs to be efficiently conducted into the vapor chamber, heatpipes, and fins to be carried away through airflow from the fans.

Since neither the CPU die nor the vapor chamber surface are perfectly flat, a thermal interface material is needed to fill in gaps to avoid comparatively insulative air taking up that space. Traditionally, most computers use a thermal grease that has thermally conductive particles suspended in silicone. This works reasonably well, but the silicone itself isn't especially thermally conductive, and the paste can pump out or dry out over time, making it less effective.

EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, now offers white upgrade kits for EK-Quantum Velocity² as separate products. These kits can be used to change the color of the stand-out to white so they better match white-themed builds and overall aesthetics. The users now don't need to buy a whole new water block if they want a white build. Instead, they can simply use this kit to upgrade their existing Plexi Velocity² water block and transform it into a white one.

EK-Quantum Velocity² D-RGB - AM5/1700 White Upgrade Kit
As the Velocity² CPU water block is socket-specific, separate upgrade kits are made for the AM5 and LGA 1700 sockets. This was necessary due to the size difference of the water blocks. The kit contains a white stand-out, a white Velocity² label, and a new EK badge. This exclusive series allows you to seamlessly transform the appearance of your Nickel + Plexi Velocity² by replacing the original components with pristine white alternatives.

Yesterday, Intel unveiled its latest Xeon data center processors, codenamed Emerald Rapids, delivering the new Xeon Platinum 8592+ flagship SKU with 64 cores and 128 threads. Packed into its fresh silicon, Intel promises boosted performance and reduced power hunger. The comprehensive tech benchmarking website Phoronix essentially confirms Intel's pitch. Testing production servers running the new 8592+ showed solid gains over prior Intel models, let alone older generations still commonplace in data centers. On average, upgrading to the 8592+ increased single-socket server performance by around 23.5% compared to the previous generation configs of Sapphire Rapid, Xeon Platinum 8490H. The dual-socket configuration records a 17% boost in performance.

However, Intel is not in the data center market by itself. AMD's 64-core offering that Xeon Platinum 8592+ is competing with is AMD EPYC 9554. The Emerald Rapids chip is faster by about 2.3%. However, AMD's lineup doesn't stop at only 64 cores. AMD's Genoa and Genoa-X with 3D V-cache top out at 96 cores, while Bergamo goes up to 128 cores. On the power consumption front, the Xeon Platinum 8592+ was pulling about 289 Watts compared to the Xeon Platinum 8490H average of 306 Watts. At peak, the Xeon Platinum 8592+ CPU managed to hit 434 Watts compared to the Xeon Platinum 8490H peak of 469 Watts. This aligns with Intel's claims of enhanced efficiency. However, compared to the 64-core counterpart from AMD, the EPYC 9554 had an average power consumption of 227 Watts and a recorded peak of 369 Watts.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, proudly introduces the latest evolution in gaming laptops for 2024 - the AORUS 17 and AORUS 15 - delivering cutting-edge performance in their signature sleek and portable package.

Powered by the all-new Intel Core Ultra 7 processors and equipped with full-powered NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs alongside expandable DDR5 memory, the AORUS 17 and AORUS 15 effortlessly handle demanding gaming and creative tasks on the go. The exclusive WINDFORCE Infinity cooling technology ensures optimal performance in a super-portable chassis, while the addition of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies provides an immersive personal cinema experience.

Today at the "AI Everywhere" event, Intel launched its 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors (code-named Emerald Rapids) that deliver increased performance per watt and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) across critical workloads for artificial intelligence, high performance computing (HPC), networking, storage, database and security. This launch marks the second Xeon family upgrade in less than a year, offering customers more compute and faster memory at the same power envelope as the previous generation. The processors are software- and platform-compatible with 4th Gen Intel Xeon processors, allowing customers to upgrade and maximize the longevity of infrastructure investments while reducing costs and carbon emissions.

"Designed for AI, our 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors provide greater performance to customers deploying AI capabilities across cloud, network and edge use cases. As a result of our long-standing work with customers, partners and the developer ecosystem, we're launching 5th Gen Intel Xeon on a proven foundation that will enable rapid adoption and scale at lower TCO." -Sandra Rivera, Intel executive vice president and general manager of Data Center and AI Group.

According to Tom's Hardware, today we are finding out that AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series processors, codenamed Storm Peak, including Pro and non-Pro SKUs, blow a fuse on the chip when overclocking is enabled. Modern microprocessors have dozens of fuses that are used to store information inside the chip. For example, the factory stores the per-processor default voltage information in the fuses. On downgraded graphics chips, the shaders get disabled through such fuses, too. These fuses are not like your household circuit breakers—they will blow only when a specific command is sent to the processor, there is no way for them to break accidentally through system crashes or power spikes. In the case of Ryzen Threadripper 7000, the BIOS code will blow a fuse when the user enables overclocking in the BIOS settings, it reacts only to the user-initiated UI change, not to any kind of measurement. Before that happens a warning is shown. AMD uses this mechanism to see any indications if any kind of overclocking has been done to the processor.

While the messaging might suggest otherwise, just enabling overclocking does not void all warranties. In a statement to Tom's Hardware an AMD representative confirmed: "Threadripper 7000 Series processors do contain a fuse that is blown when overclocking is enabled. To be clear, blowing this fuse does not void your warranty. Statements that enabling an overclocking/overvolting feature will "void" the processor warranty are not correct. Per AMD's standard Terms of Sale, the warranty excludes any damage that results from overclocking/overvolting the processor. However, other unrelated issues could still qualify for warranty repair/replacement," noted the spokesperson. Ultimately, overclocking and overvolting by themselves will not cause the owner of AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series CPU to lose the right to repair and seek AMD's help. Other factors, such as damages induced by overclocking, will be a warranty-voiding factor though. These can occur from constant overheating, which significantly lowers the life expectancy of the CPU.

After years of delays, Chinese chipmaker Zhaoxin has finally launched its long-awaited KX-7000 series consumer CPUs, only one of its kind in China, based on the licensed x86-64 ISA. Zhaoxin claims the new 8-core processors based on "Century Avenue" uArch deliver double the performance of previous generations. Leveraging architectural improvements and 4X more cache, the KX-7000 represents essential progress for China's domestic semiconductor industry. While still likely lagging behind rival AMD and Intel chips in raw speed, the KX-7000 matches competitive specs in areas like DDR5 memory, PCIe 4.0, and USB4 support. For Chinese efforts to attain technological independence, closing feature gaps with foreign processors is just as crucial as boosting performance. Manufactured on a 16 nm process, the KX-7000 does not use the best silicon node available.

Other chip details include out-of-order execution (OoOE), 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes, a 32 MB pool of L3 cache and 4 MB L2 cache, a base frequency of 3.2 GHz, and a boost clock of 3.7 GHz. Interestingly, the CPU also has VT-x, BT-d 2.5, SSE4.2/AVX/AVX2 support, most likely also licensed from the x86 makers Intel and/or AMD. Ultimately, surpassing Western processors is secondary for China next to attaining self-reliance. Instructions like SM encryption catering to domestic data protection priorities underscore how the KX-7000 advances strategic autonomy goals. With its x86 architecture license giving software compatibility and now a vastly upgraded platform, the KX-7000 will raise China's chip capabilities even if it is still trailing rivals' speeds. Ongoing progress closing that performance gap could position Zhaoxin as a mainstream alternative for local PC builders and buyers.