Intel's semiconductors nodes have been quite controversial with the arrival of the 10 nm design. Years in the making, the node got delayed multiple times, and only recently did the general public get the first 10 nm chips. Today, at IEEE's annual VLSI Symposium, we get more details about Intel's upcoming nodes, called Intel 4. Previously referred to as a 7 nm process, Intel 4 is the company's first node to use EUV lithography accompanied by various technologies. The first thing when a new process node is discussed is density. Compared to Intel 7, Intel 4 will double the transistor count for the same area and enable 20% higher performing transistors.

Looking at individual transistor size, the new Intel 4 node represents a very tiny piece of silicon that is even smaller than its predecessor. With a Fin Pitch of 30 nm, Contact Gate Poly Pitch of 50 nm between gates, and Minimum Metal Pitch (M0) of 50 nm, the Intel 4 transistor is significantly smaller compared to the Intel 7 cell, listed in the table below. For scaling, Intel 4 provides double the number of transistors in the same area compared to Intel 7. However, this reasoning is applied only to logic. For SRAM, the new PDK provides 0.77 area reduction, meaning that the same SoC built on Intel 7 will not be half the size of Intel 4, as SRAM plays a significant role in chip design. The Intel 7 HP library can put 80 million transistors on a square millimeter, while Intel 4 HP is capable of 160 million transistors per square millimeter.

Thanks to the excellent R&D capabilities of T-FORCE LAB, global memory leader TEAMGROUP is proud to announce the release of two new specification upgrades of T-FORCE DELTA RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory. The overclocking RAM comes in a high-speed variant clocking in at 6,600 MHz and a low-latency variant rated at 6,000 MHz CL30. Samples have been sent to major motherboard manufacturers for verification testing. Through continuous improvements in product design and R&D capabilities, TEAMGROUP is able to deliver the ultimate high-performance experience to gamers and overclocking enthusiasts around the world pursuing the best of the best.

With the maturation of DDR5 platform development, the T-FORCE DELTA RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory has undergone a revolutionary upgrade. DELTA RGB DDR5 offers two additional spec options: a DDR5-6600 CL34 2X16GB kit and a DDR5-6000 CL30 2X16GB kit. Each module is equipped with a power management chip and carefully selected high-quality ICs to provide superior system performance and stable computing. It'll fully satisfy any gamer seeking top-notch overclocking performance and buttery-smooth gaming experiences. The DELTA RGB DDR5 features the iconic 120°wide-angle RGB heatspreader with smart RGB control support. The DDR5's exclusive thermal module is combined with dazzling aluminium alloy heat sinks and a special cooling silicone, giving gamers and overclockers unparalleled thermal performance and stability as well as a visually-pleasing environment while gaming.

Montage Technology, a leading data processing and interconnect IC design company, today announced it is now producing its 5600 MT/s 2nd-generation DDR5 RCD (RCD02) chip to support memory module vendors to enable the DDR5-5600 ecosystem. The new device is targeted for demanding applications such as next-generation servers, edge computing, and AI. The RCD02 is compliant with the latest JEDEC DDR5RCD02 specification. Compared with the 1st-generation RCD (RCD01), the RCD02 boosts DDR5 data rate by 16.67%. The RCD02 chip adopts dual-channel memory architecture, supports 1.1 V VDD and 1.0 V VDDIO voltages and several power saving modes, thus enabling a great reduction in power consumption.

In addition to providing industry-leading performance, power efficiency and reliability at the device level, Montage's DDR5 RCD02 solution supports CA, CS and DFE training modes, dual frequency, as well as other advanced features to facilitate the higher speed for the next generation DDR5 platform.
"An insatiable demand for bandwidth in everything from high-performance computing to AI training, gaming, is fueling the development of the next-generation memory," said Montage Technology's President, Stephen Tai. "Montage is delighted to be the first in the industry to successfully produce the DDR5 RCD02 chip to help meet the ever-increasing demand for memory bandwidth."

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today introduces their brand new B660M-SILVER motherboard. Top shelf performance packed in a compact uATX form-factor, BIOSTAR's new B660M-SILVER motherboard is ready to take the market by storm. Designed based on Intel's B660 chipset, the B660M- SILVER carries unparalleled compatibility with all the latest Intel 12th gen processors.

Highly suitable for content creators, casual gamers, or as a solid base for a daily driver pc, the new B660M-SILVER motherboard is a jack of all trades, built to cater to a broad use spectrum. Carrying BIOSTAR's signature SILVER range styling and added RGB customizability, the B660M-SILVER motherboard makes any build look special.

ID-COOLING today announced IS-47S 47 mm height low profile CPU air cooler. At a total height including the fan of 47 mm, this cooler would be a good choice for your A4 cases. Designed with an overall dimension of 100x93x47mm, it has no conflict of the RAM or PCI-E slots. The heatsink is solid built with a pure copper base and 4 heatpipes and massive aluminium fins. The heatsink itself is measured at 35 mm height. Adding a powerful 12 mm PWM fan, this cooler is capable of handling processors with a maximum TDP of 95 W. In terms of mounting kit, two separate backplates are provided in the box for Intel and AMD respectively. The sockets list includes Intel LGA1700/1200/1151/1150/1155/1156 and AMD AM4.

The bundled thermal grease is named FROST X25, which has a thermal conductivity of 10.5 W/m-K.

According to TrendForce forecasts, average overall DRAM pricing in 2Q22 will drop by approximately 0~5%, due to marginally higher buyer and seller inventories coupled with the demand for products such as PCs, laptops, and smart phones being influenced in the short-term by the Russian-Ukrainian war and high inflation weakening consumer purchasing power. At present, the only remaining source of demand is on the server side, so overall DRAM stocks will remain oversupplied in 2Q22.

In terms of PC DRAM, PC OEMs are adopting a conservative stocking strategy for orders in 2Q22 due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, which may continue affecting orders during peak season in 2H22, and revising 2022 shipment targets downwards. Additionally, the overall supply of bits is still growing, so the PC DRAM price slump in 2Q22 will further expand to 3~8% and may continue to deteriorate.

Nextorage Corporation will launch a PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 ("PCIe 4.0") M.2 2280 NVMe SSD "NEM-PA series" for the USA market from March. The products are initially sold on Amazon. Nextorage was established on October 1, 2019, as a company specializing in the memory storage solutions business led by engineers and staff who built on 20 years of history in memory storage at Sony.

The NEM-PA series is an M.2 2280 SSD equipped with a PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 1.4 controller and a 3D TLC NAND, and comes with a heatsink for heat dissipation. The drive achieves sequential read up to 7,300 MB/s, sequential write up to 6,900 MB/s, and random read/write up to 1,000 K IOPS (in a PC environment). The NEM-PA series delivers both high-speed loading and smooth gaming experience.

Intel and AMD will be releasing new CPUs that support DDR5 DRAM solutions for PCs and servers this year. In response, the DRAM industry led by South Korean suppliers is developing solutions to complement the arrival of the new CPUs. In the midst of the gradual shift to DDR5, DRAM suppliers will also scale back the supply of DDR3 solutions, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. With Korean suppliers accelerating their withdrawal from DDR3 production, Taiwanese suppliers yet to kick off mass production using newly installed capacities, and Chinese suppliers falling short of their expected yield rate, the global supply of DDR3 solutions will undergo an impending decline. With respect to the demand side, however, not only has the supply of networking chips been ramping up, but material shortage issues are also gradually easing. As such, buyers are now procuring DDR3 solutions ahead of time, resulting in a tight supply and demand situation in the DDR3 market. TrendForce therefore expects DDR3 DRAM prices to recover from a bearish first quarter and undergo a 0-5% QoQ increase in 2Q22.

ATP Electronics, the global leader in specialized storage and memory solutions, has introduced its latest line of e.MMC devices built on 3D triple level cell (TLC) NAND. Using a new die package, the E750Pi/Pc and E650Si/Sc Series offer long-life performance, optimized power consumption and customizable configuration options. ATP's new E750Pi/Pc Series e.MMC offerings are built with 3D TLC NAND flash but are configured as pseudo SLC (pSLC) to offer endurance on par with SLC NAND, while E650Si/Sc Series in native TLC has near-MLC endurance.

The E750Pi and E650Si Series are industrial temperature-operable (-40°C to 85°C), making them ideal for deployment in scenarios with extreme thermal challenges and harsh environments, while E750Pc and E650Sc support -25°C to 85°C operating temperatures for applications with non-critical thermal requirements.

Out of nowhere, Micron has announced that it will end production of its Ballistix RAM products that are the high-performance and gamer focused RAM products from its Crucial brand. The details available so far doesn't state a reason for the discontinuation of these products. That said, Crucial has launched a wide range of DDR5 products, but so far none under the Ballistix brand and that is obviously a permanent move now. The company said it would focus on "the development of Micron's DDR5 client and server product roadmap, along with the expansion of the Crucial memory and storage product portfolio."

Furthermore the press release mentioned that "the company will continue to support the performance compute and gaming communities with its award-winning SSD products, such as the Crucial P5 Plus Gen 4 PCIe NVMe SSD, Crucial P2 Gen 3 NVMe SSD, and the popular Crucial X6 and Crucial X8 portable SSDs." It seems like Micron has decided to change the focus of it's consumer focused Crucial brand yet again, as the company has done several times in the past, but it's going to remove a major player in the consumer DRAM market, which isn't a good thing, especially as Micron was one of few DRAM manufacturers to offer high-end RAM modules, since neither Samsung or SK-Hynix is in this market. That said, it looks like Crucial will at least continue to offer its standard RAM modules, but they tend to follow JEDEC spec and aren't particularly exciting.

Thermaltake, officially announces the worldwide availability of TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory. This series is the first DDR5 memory of Thermaltake's RAM collection, which comes in frequencies of 4800 MHz, 5200 MHz and 5600 MHz and with capacities of 32 GB (16 GB x2), offering enhanced performance. Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 4800 MHz is available now, followed by the 5200 MHz and 5600 MHz on March 3rd.

Being compatible with mainstream hardware and the latest AMD and Intel motherboards, the new DDR5 series comes with higher capacities, faster speeds and better performance than the previous generation. The TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory has been through rigorous tests to select tightly-screened ICs, and features a built-in Power Management IC (PMIC) to enhance power supply stability; Additionally, the on-die error correction code (ECC) allows memory modules to correct errors automatically, further improving overall stability and reliability. With its doubled bank group architecture, the new TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 enhances access availability and brings you higher capacities without lag, leading the way to next-gen memory. What's more, the latest TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory is compatible with Thermaltake's CPU and memory AIO cooler series, such as Floe RC and Floe RC Ultra Series, providing users more flexibility when it comes to matching PC builds.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of the next version of its High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) DRAM standard: JESD238 HBM3, available for download from the JEDEC website. HBM3 is an innovative approach to raising the data processing rate used in applications where higher bandwidth, lower power consumption and capacity per area are essential to a solution's market success, including graphics processing and high-performance computing and servers.

Intel's upcoming Arc Alchemist lineup of discrete graphics cards generates a lot of attention from consumers. Leaks of these cards' performance and detailed specifications appear more and more as we enter the countdown to the launch day, which is sometime in Q1 of this year. Today, we managed to see a slide from @9950pro on Twitter that shows the laptop memory configuration of Intel's DG2 GPU. As the picture suggests, we can see that the top-end SKU1 with 512 EUs supports a 16 GB capacity of GDDR6 memory that runs at 16 Gbps speeds. The memory runs on a 256-bit bus and generates 512 GB/s bandwidth while having eight VRAM modules present.

When it comes to SKU2, which is a variant with 384 EUs, this configuration supports six VRAM modules on a 192-bit bus, running at 16 Gbps speeds. They generate a total capacity of 12 GBs and a bandwidth of 384 GB/s. We have SKU3 DG2 GPU going down the stack, featuring 256 EUs, four VRAM modules on a 128-bit bus, 8 GB capacity, and a 256 GB/s bandwidth. And last but not least, the smallest DG2 variants come in the form of SKU4 and SKU5, feating 128 EUs and 96 EUs, respectively. Intel envisions these lower-end SKUs with two VRAM modules on a 64-bit bus, and this time slower GDDR6 memory running at 14 Gbps. They are paired with 4 GB of total capacity, and the total bandwidth comes down to 112 GB/s.

Intel's Arc Alchemist discrete lineup of graphics cards is scheduled for launch this quarter. We are getting some performance benchmarks of the DG2-512EU silicon, representing the top-end Xe-HPG configuration. Thanks to a discovery of a famous hardware leaker TUM_APISAK, we have a measurement performed in the SiSoftware database that shows Intel's Arc Alchemist GPU with 4096 cores and, according to the report from the benchmark, just 12.8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. This is just an error on the report, as this GPU SKU should be coupled with 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The card was reportedly running at 2.1 GHz frequency. However, we don't know if this represents base or boost speeds.

When it comes to actual performance, the DG2-512EU GPU managed to score 9017.52 Mpix/s, while something like NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti managed to get 8369.51 Mpix/s in the same test group. Comparing these two cards in floating-point operations, Intel has an advantage in half-float, double-float, and quad-float tests, while NVIDIA manages to hold the single-float crown. This represents a 7% advantage for Intel's GPU, meaning that Arc Alchemist has the potential for standing up against NVIDIA's offerings.

Worldwide semiconductor revenue increased 25.1% in 2021 to total $583.5 billion, crossing the $500 billion threshold for the first time, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc.

"As the global economy bounced back in 2021, shortages appeared throughout the semiconductor supply chain, particularly in the automotive industry," said Andrew Norwood, research vice president at Gartner. "The resulting combination of strong demand as well as logistics and raw material price increases drove semiconductors' average selling price higher (ASP), contributing to overall revenue growth in 2021.

Based on details from multiple sources, least not the release notes for HWiNFO 7.17 beta, we now know that AMD is working on an answer to Intel's XMP memory profiles that should be called RAMP, or Ryzen Accelerated Memory Profile. Not much is known about RAMP at this point in time, but hopefully it'll be as straightforward to use as Intel's XMP when it comes to configuring overclocked DIMMs.

Intel has of course updated XMP to version 3.0 which includes support for DDR5 memory, although it was reported that Intel was late when it came to finalising the specifics of XMP 3.0, which meant some early DDR5 modules intended for overclocking didn't end up getting any XMP profiles. Hopefully AMD will get its RAMP spec finished well ahead of time, so the memory makers that want to offer support for RAMP can do so well ahead of the launch of AMD's upcoming AM5 platform.

During the CES 2022 keynote, we have witnessed NVIDIA update its GeForce RTX 30 series family with GeForce RTX 3050 and RTX 3090 Ti. However, this is not an end to NVIDIA's updates to the Ampere generation, as we now hear industry sources from Wccftech suggest that we could see a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU with 12 GB of GDDR6X VRAM enabled, launched as a separate product. Compared to the regular RTX 3080 that carries only 10 GB of GDDR6X, the new 12 GB version is supposed to bring a slight bump up to the specification list. The GA102-220 GPU SKU found inside the 12 GB variant will feature 70 SMs with 8960 CUDA, 70 RT cores, and 280 TMUs.

This represents a minor improvement over the regular GA102-200 silicon inside the 8 GB model. However, the significant difference is the memory organization. With the new 12 GB model, we have a 384-bit memory bus allowing GDDR6X modules to achieve a bandwidth of 912 GB/s, all while running at 19 Gbps speeds. The overall TDP will also receive a bump to 350 Watts, compared to 320 Watts of the regular RTX 3080 model. For more information regarding final clock speeds and pricing, we have to wait for the alleged launch date - January 11th.

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Cooling, Gaming Gear, and Enthusiast Memory solutions, is proud to announce the launch of TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory, the first DDR5 memory of Thermaltake's RAM collection, at the 2022 Thermaltake Expo January Virtual Exhibition.

Thermaltake's RAM product line covers a wide range of options, ranging from DDR4 2400 MHz to higher frequencies of up to 5600 MHz for our DDR5 modules, as Thermaltake continues to strive to meet its users' needs with the best products. This time, together with the latest TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory, Thermaltake officially turns to a new chapter and officially enters the new generation of DDR5.

With the current short supply and maybe more importantly, the rather insane pricing for DDR5 memory, ASUS is working on what could be called a quick fix for the problem, an adapter that would allow DDR5 motherboard owners to put DDR4 memory in their motherboards. It's not what we'd call an elegant solution at this point, but it's said it'll be refined before it's ready for retail—if it ever enters the market—since apparently the engineer that developed the adapter doesn't always get to see his projects hit retail, as from our understanding he's responsible for a lot of the more unusual products from ASUS' ROG brand.

That said, considering that a lot of high-end Z690 motherboards only support DDR5, this might be an interim solution that makes sense for a lot of people until availability of DDR5 improves. There's some complexity in making the adapter work though, as not only does it need its own power regulation, since DDR4 memory doesn't have onboard power conversion components unlike DDR5, but there's also the 2x 32-bit vs 64-bit bus to take into consideration as well. On top of this, the DRAM traces are obviously extended, which could lead to instabilities, which is why it's apparently only tested with one type of memory right now, which appears to be G-Skill's Tridentz Royal. A further limitation of the adapter is that it requires a special UEFI version to be installed that allows DDR4 memory to be used, but this might be the smallest issue in this "skunk works" project from ASUS' ROG team.

Since 2020, data centers have seen additional development opportunities driven by new infrastructure. For this reason, DDRs have been developed to become faster and more efficient. On July 14, 2020, JEDEC released the DDR5 SDRAM standard, marking the industry-wide transition to DDR5 server dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). In China, mainstream manufacturers are gradually focusing on DDR5, striving to promote its widespread commercialization. DDR5 brings with it a series of crucial improvements to help empower next-gen servers with better performance and lower power consumption.

With 22 years of experience in the storage industry, Longsys is constantly accumulating industrial experience while remaining centered on R&D technology. As the first company in China to do so, it has made multiple DDR5 test data items publicly available. FORESEE, the industrial storage brand of Longsys, has recently launched commercial DDR5 U-DIMM, available in 16 GB and 32 GB options.

During its quarterly earnings call, Micron confirmed that the lack of DDR5 memory in retail is not due to a shortage of DDR5 memory ICs, but rather due to a shortage of PMIC and VRM components. Micron said that "demand for DDR5 products is significantly exceeding supply due to non-memory component shortages impacting memory suppliers' ability to build DDR5 modules."

It would appear that demand ended up being higher than expected, due to the popularity of Intel's Alder Lake CPUs, with the DRAM module makers not having prepared enough stock of the new components that are required to make DDR5 DIMMs, which has resulted in the current lack of DDR5 modules in retail. Micron is working on its end to resolve this issue and has entered what it calls "strategic agreements to secure supply of certain components" and is expecting supply of said components to improve slowly in 2022. It seems like some of these components are also related to other products made by Micron, such as SSDs.

ADATA XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, E-sports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, today announces the XPG CASTER DDR5 DRAM series. The XPG CASTER, which comes with and without RGB lighting, is rated for 7000 MT/s and comes equipped with On-Die ECC and PMIC for enhanced stability and reliability. Both the RGB and non-RGB variants feature capacities of 16 GB.

Running at 7000 MT/s, the XPG CASTER is a new breed of DDR5 that is over two times faster than standard DDR4 DRAM. With blazing-fast data transfer rates, users will enjoy a smoother and seamless gaming experience. With support for Intel XMP 3.0, overclocking is incredibly and straightforward. It allows users to avoid cumbersome BIOS settings and never-ending adjustment of overclocking parameters.

Apacer's consumer and gaming DDR5 memory modules are finally available! The DDR5-4800 delivers 16 GB of DRAM at 4800 MHz and draws just 1.1 V. That leaves DDR4 modules far behind in the rear-view mirror. Performance, capacity, stability and power efficiency are all taken to the next level. In addition to the standard DDR5 memory module, Apacer is launching a NOX DDR5 gaming memory module. This will provide gamers with extremely stable overclocking capabilities with a single click. Power consumption management is also upgraded in DDR5.

Apacer's DDR5-4800 modules are compliant with the JEDEC standard. And their operating frequency of 4800 MHz is a 50% increase in bandwidth compared to the standard DDR4 upper frequency limit of 3200 MHz.

Prominent chip designers like AMD and NVIDIA could bless consumers with a broader offering of their new products as soon as CES 2022 arrives. AMD should present its rumored Rembrandt-H lineup of processors based on the enhanced Zen 3 core, sometimes referred to as Zen 3+. According to the latest report coming from MyLaptopsGuide, Bluetooth SIG has some data entry about ASUS'es upcoming ROG Zephyrus Duo GX650 laptop that integrates AMD Rembrandt-H processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series graphics. As the website claims, the heart of this laptop will be AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor built on TSMC's 6 nm manufacturing process. We don't know much about this model, but we expect it to refine the previous Ryzen 9 5900HX.

We again see the rumored NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card for mobile, powering the graphics side of things. This model is supposedly based on GA103S GPU SKU, which is likely tailor-made for laptops in mind and exclusive to them. ASUS has also paired 16 GB of DDR5-4800 RAM with an AMD Ryzen processor, suggesting that Rembrandt-H has a new memory controller in place. This laptop model also has a 16-inch 300 Hz Full HD screen with anti-glare; however, the amount of information ended there. We have to wait for CES 2022 launch to find out more.

As the global vaccination rate rose, and border restrictions in Europe and North America eased, social activities also began to enter a period of recovery, with the consumer electronics market seemingly ready for the arrival of the traditional peak season in 2H21, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. At the same time, however, the global supply chain was affected by delays in maritime transport, skyrocketing shipping costs, and component shortages, in addition to already-prohibitive price hikes for certain components in 1H21. Given the parallel rise in both material and manufacturing costs, the market for end products has not undergone the expected cyclical upturn in 2H21. Even so, the overall demand for and shipment of smartphones, notebook computers, and monitors experienced QoQ increases in 3Q21, thereby driving up businesses for major OSAT (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test) companies. For 3Q21, the revenues of the top 10 OSAT companies reached US$8.89 billion, a 31.6% YoY increase.