Hello, this is Akihiro Hino, CEO of LEVEL5. For LEVEL5, 2025 is both a year of challenges and a year of great strides forward: yes, we are set to release three major titles! I know that many of you may be wondering: "Will they really be released on time? Won't there be delays again?" To address these concerns, I wanted to create a space where we could regularly update players on the progress of our game development. Throughout this journey, there will be exciting breakthroughs, but also unexpected obstacles. I want to use this blog to share as much as possible about what's happening behind the scenes—both the good and the challenging. More importantly, I hope that by doing so, we can move forward together with our fans, step by step, toward the completion of all our games.

Of course, not everything can be shared publicly. That said, I still want to convey my thoughts and experiences from the process with everyone—even if only on a personal level. For moments like these, I plan to use this blog as a way to share updates from a more "unofficial" point of view. It might sound a bit strange for a company president to say "unofficial," but the reality is that my perspective as the CEO and my perspective as a creator can sometimes be very different. In such cases, I want to walk that fine line and share as much as I can with our players, making the lead-up to these games exciting rather than just a long wait. I appreciate your support, and I hope you enjoy following along!

Supply chain insiders believe that NVIDIA's "Blackwell Ultra" GB300 AI chip design will get a formal introduction at next week's GTC 2025 conference. Jensen Huang's keynote presentation is scheduled—the company's calendar is marked with a very important date: Tuesday, March 18. Team Green's chief has already revealed a couple of Blackwell B300 series details to investors; a recent earnings call touched upon the subject of a second half (of 2025) launch window. Industry moles have put spotlights on the GB300 GPU's alleged energy hungry nature. According to inside tracks, power consumption has "significantly" increased when compared to a slightly older equivalent; NVIDIA's less refined "Blackwell" GB200 design.

A Taiwan Economic Daily news article predicts an upcoming "second cooling revolution," due to reports of "Blackwell Ultra" parts demanding greater heat dissipation solutions. Supply chain leakers have suggested effective countermeasures—in the form of fully liquid-cooled systems: "not only will more water cooling plates be introduced, but the use of water cooling quick connectors will increase four times compared to GB200." The pre-Christmas 2024 news cycle proposed a 1400 W TDP rating. Involved "Taiwanese cooling giants" are expected to pull in tidy sums of money from the supply of optimal heat dissipating gear, with local "water-cooling quick-connector" manufacturers also tipped to benefit greatly. The UDN report pulled quotes from a variety of regional cooling specialists; the consensus being that involved partners are struggling to keep up with demand across GB200 and GB300 product lines.

Is newer really better? We certainly don't think so, especially since PCs are designed to last at least a few years, and our current models still work. However, there's a high chance that your PC is laggier than it once was, but that doesn't mean you need to overhaul it completely. Consider giving your PC an internal upgrade.

You might not realize this, but a new operating system could be the boost your PC needs to serve you better. If it's been a while since you last upgraded, you might've waited for the right time. Why? Because Microsoft's most up-to-date operating system, Windows 11 Pro, for only $14.97 (reg. $199) through March 30.

Revive your trusty PC by upgrading its OS with Windows 11 Pro, now available for just $14.97 while supplies last. The price goes back up on March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

This month, we at AMD celebrate two significant milestones in the Radeon story. First, the 25th anniversary of Radeon, a journey that began in 2000 with the ATI Radeon DDR card. Back then, 32 MB of VRAM, a 143 MHz clocks, and 30M transistors were cutting-edge tools that sparked your early adventures. Today, those specs are a nostalgic memory, dwarfed by the leaps we've made together culminating in the 24 GB of memory, multi-GHz clocks, and nearly 60B transistors of RDNA 3 cards driving the immersive worlds you now explore. But we're not stopping there. We're proud to continue that innovation journey with the RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070, available starting today. This is more than a new chapter for us, it's a promise to you, the gamers who fuel our passion. We know what matters when you choose your next GPU: raw performance to conquer your favorite titles, tech that's ready for tomorrow's blockbusters, and value that respects your investment. That's precisely what RDNA 4 delivers.

Our goal with RDNA 4 wasn't to chase an elite crown few can reach. Instead, we focused on you, the heart of gaming, crafting cards that bring exceptional power to the setups most of you run. Compared to our last gen, RDNA 4 boosts raster performance for crisper, smoother visuals. Ray tracing throughput doubles, letting you soak in lifelike lighting and reflections without compromise. And with an 8x uplift in machine learning performance, we're unlocking new possibilities - like FSR 4, our latest leap in ML-based upscaling.

Shortly after participating in AMD's special RDNA 4 launch event, XFX presented its custom Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics card models to Chinese media outlets. The board partner's "QUICKSILVER class" customizable shroud design was highlighted by global PC hardware news sites—a demonstration unit was showcased with attached "racing car red and white" sections. At the time, XFX's web presences teased this intriguing modular system: "the RX 9000 Series QUICKSILVER Class GPUs features customizable magnetic wings which can be easily removed and replaced to match your style and needs." Select models also sport the manufacturer's impressive "Magnetic Air" triple-fan system—as explored in W1zzard's review of a related (higher-end) MERCURY model; worth a read!

Very recently, XFX's RDNA 4 QUICKSILVER splash page was updated with additional information: "3D Printer Required—3D files available in the downloads section on the product pages." A fresh VideoCardz report covered the availability of 3D print files for compatible card models, via official download pages. Owners can print out their own interpretations, but "magnets are required for assembly." XFX has not yet indicated whether it will sell aftermarket magnetic wing parts. The company's general mentioning of "RX 9000 Series" could imply that forthcoming QUICKSILVER models—e.g. Radeon RX 9060 XT—will be similarly provisioned with modular shroud designs.

Hello Director! We're happy to announce that all owners of will be receiving a free content update. The update is hitting PC players (Steam and Epic Games Store, GOG to follow later) today, including several improvements to support newer hardware. In the near future we will release this same update for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms. We have a small team working on these updates so we want to space them out to give us time to fix potential issues that might come up. We appreciate your patience! Keep an eye on our social channels for the exact date and time, as well as update notes.

Control Ultimate Edition contains the main game and all previously released Expansions ("The Foundation" and "AWE") in one great value package. A corruptive presence has invaded the Federal Bureau of Control…Only you have the power to stop it. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control?

Apple's recent unveiling of refreshed Mac Studio models—in "mismatched" M3 Ultra and M4 Max forms—was greeted with a lukewarm reception from press and public. The absence of an M4 Ultra option has disappointed many folks within the high-end Mac buying populace—rumors of a delayed development of Apple's "Mac Studio M4 Ultra model" emerged online last October. The M3 Ultra processor serves as a somewhat dissatisfying stopgap—prior to last week's official announcement, insiders were still actively questioning the existence of said chip. Last week, Apple representatives reportedly informed Ars Technica and Numerama about their "Ultra" tier not reaching "every chip generation." Follow-up articles have suggested that the M4 Max chip design does not feature an UltraFusion connector; thus cutting off a main path to potential M4 Ultra routes.

Based on previous-gen history, Mac-specialist news sites propose the upcoming M3 Ultra chipset being—in effect—the result of two M3 Max chips joined together via Apple's UltraFusion connection system. Further speculation points to the company's engineering department having to start with a blank canvas; involving a speculative monolithic die design. Noted Apple leaker—Mark Gurman—has disclosed additional theories via his paywalled Bloomberg "Power On" newsletter. As interpreted by MacRumors: "Apple is reluctant to develop an M4 Ultra chip from scratch due to production challenges, costs, and the relatively small sales volume of its desktop computers, like the Mac Studio. So, that seems to rule out the only other way in which Apple could have released an M4 Ultra chip." Several media outlets posit that Apple will skip a generation, and instead focus on getting UltraFusion connections working with next-gen "M5" processors. A refreshed Mac Pro lineup is reportedly on the cards; mid-January reports linked the next-gen workstation series to a very powerful "Hidra" chip design.

Sony has confirmed plans to implement an advanced AI upscaling solution for PlayStation 5 Pro in 2026, based on AMD's newly released FSR 4 technology. PlayStation lead architect Mark Cerny revealed to EuroGamer that the next evolution of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) will leverage the neural network architecture co-developed with AMD through Project Amethyst. "Our target is to have something very similar to FSR 4's upscaler available on PS5 Pro for 2026 titles as the next evolution of PSSR," Cerny stated. This implementation aims to maintain compatibility with existing frameworks while delivering significantly enhanced image quality. The collaborative initiative between Sony and AMD, which began in late 2023, has already yielded measurable results. FSR 4 represents the first tangible output from Project Amethyst, with Cerny noting that the technology "can exceed the crispness of PSSR" currently deployed on PS5 Pro hardware.

Sony's PS5 Pro features custom ML hardware delivering 300 8-bit TOPS of computing power without sparsity, which Cerny believes will be sufficient to handle the computational demands of the new upscaling algorithm. While the reimplementation process is described as "ambitious and time-consuming," the underlying architecture appears capable of supporting the technology without significant modifications. For 2025, Sony's priority remains to encourage developers to integrate the current PSSR technology into their titles while the enhanced version undergoes development. Cerny indicated that console-specific optimizations will be necessary, as "technical targets for console game development and PC game development tend to be slightly different," particularly regarding frame rate consistency. Project Amethyst extends beyond upscaling technology, with indications that ray tracing enhancements may also be part of the collaboration. The partnership aims to establish a hardware architecture optimized for machine learning in graphics processing, giving us a hint of what the future hardware will be like.

The Rainbow Six Siege X Showcase will be taking place in Atlanta, Georgia on March 13th, 2025 at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm CET and will be broadcast live. This event promises to be an immersive and one-of-a-kind Siege experience, where players, creators and developers come together as we unveil all the evolutions coming with Siege X, and many more surprises! Tune in live with your friends over on our Twitch Channel and enjoy exclusive Twitch drops! Make sure to link your Twitch account to receive the rewards!

Witness the start of Siege's new era—Don't miss the R6 Siege X showcase
A new era is on the horizon for Rainbow Six Siege—one that sets the stage for the years to come of tactical and unique gameplay—and we'd like to invite you to be a part of it: welcome to Siege X! The R6 team has been working tirelessly to bring to life the biggest transformation in the game's history and its purpose is to reinforce Rainbow Six Siege's position at the top of tactical first-person shooters by introducing new ways to play, deepened tactical gameplay, refined game feel and major upgrades all around. To celebrate this new age of Siege, we are holding an exclusive event that you're invited to attend; The Rainbow Six Siege X Showcase.

Last Friday, AMD confirmed finalized price points for its upcoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D ($699) and 9900X3D ($599) gaming processors—both launching on March 12. Media outlets are very likely finalizing their evaluations of review silicon; official embargoes are due for lifting tomorrow (March 11). By Team Red decree, a drip feed of pre-launch information was restricted to teasers, a loose March launch window, and an unveiling of basic specifications (at CES 2025). A trickle of mid-January to early March leaks have painted an incomplete picture of performance expectations for the 3D V-Cache-equipped 16 and 12-core parts. A fresh NDA-busting disclosure has arrived online, courtesy of an alleged Ryzen 9 9950X3D sample's set of benchmark scores.

A pre-release candidate posted single and multi-thread ratings of 4739 and 69,701 (respectively), upon completion of PassMark tests. Based on this information, a comparison chart was assembled—pitching the Ryzen 9 9950X3D against its direct predecessor (7950X3D), a Zen 5 relative (9950X), and competition from Intel (Core Ultra 9 285K). AMD's brand-new 16-core flagship managed to outpace the previous-gen Ryzen 9 7950X3D by ~14% in single thread stakes, and roughly 11% in multithreaded scenarios. Test system build details and settings were not mentioned with this leak—we expect to absorb a more complete picture tomorrow, upon publication of widespread reviews. The sampled Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU surpassed its 9950X sibling by ~5% with its multi-thread result, both processors are just about equal in terms of single-core performance. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU posted the highest single-core result within the comparison—5078 points—exceeding the 9950X3D's tally by about 7%. The latter pulls ahead by ~3% in terms of recorded multi-thread performance. Keep an eye on TechPowerUp's review section; where W1zzard will be delivering his verdict(s) imminently.

Logic Fruit Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge FPGA-based solutions, proudly announces the release of its latest High-Speed Interface IP stack, including PCIe Gen 6 Controller IP, PCIe Gen 6 PHY IP, and CXL 3 Controller IP.

These high-performance solutions enable seamless data transfer, ensuring reliability, scalability, and efficiency for next-generation computing applications such as AI/ML, data centers, and high-performance networking.

The ICY DOCK CP146 is a revolutionary mobile rack that transforms unused PCIe panel space into high-speed removable M.2 NVMe SSD bay (2230/2242/2260/2280). Unlike traditional PCIe adapters, the CP146 allows users to install M.2 NVMe SSDs without occupying any PCIe slots. Many modern system chassis include PCIe panel areas with no corresponding PCIe slots underneath—perfect for upgrading with the CP146.

With its SlimSAS 4i interface, the CP146 supports PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth, delivering up to 64 Gbps transfer speeds. The tool-free removable SSD tray streamlines SSD installation and replacement, making it ideal for users who prioritize both functionality and convenience.

According to a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies report, Huawei got its hand on approximately two million Ascend 910B logic dies through shell companies that misled TSMC. This acquisition violates US export controls designed to restrict China's access to advanced semiconductor technology. The report details how Huawei leveraged intermediaries to procure chiplets for its AI accelerators before TSMC discovered the deception and halted shipments. These components are critical for Huawei's AI hardware roadmap, which progressed from the original Ascend 910 (manufactured by TSMC on N7+ until 2020) to the domestically produced Ascend 910B and 910C chips fabricated at SMIC using first and second-generation 7 nm-class technologies, respectively. Huawei reportedly wanted TSMC-made dies because of manufacturing challenges in domestic chip production. The Ascend 910B and 910C reportedly suffer from poor yields, with approximately 25% of units failing during the advanced packaging process that combines compute dies with HBM memory.

Despite these challenges, the performance gap with market-leading solutions still remains but has narrowed considerably, with the Ascend 910C reportedly delivering 60% of NVIDIA H100's performance. Huawei has executed a strategic stockpiling initiative, particularly for high-bandwidth memory components. The company likely acquired substantial HBM inventory between August and December 2024, when restrictions on advanced memory sales to China were announced but not yet implemented. The semiconductor supply chain breach shows that enforcing technology export controls is challenging, and third parties can still purchase silicon for restricted companies. While Huawei continues building AI infrastructure for both internal projects and external customers, manufacturing constraints may limit its ability to scale deployments against competitors with access to more advanced manufacturing processes. Perhaps a future domestic EUV-based silicon manufacturing flow will allow Huawei to gain access to more advanced domestic production, completely circumventing US-imposed restrictions.

Hideo Kojima took to the stage at SXSW yesterday and—joined by some special guests—discussed new details about Kojima Productions' Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Those details included the reveal of the game's release date: June 26, 2025. To mark the announcement - and pre-orders going live March 17—attendees enjoyed a first look at a special Kojima-directed Pre-Order trailer, which you can watch in full below.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will launch in a range of different versions. This includes a Collector's Edition, which will be available to pre-order directly from PlayStation and select retailers worldwide. Details on the different versions you can find here.

AMD has officially stated that its portfolio of RDNA 4 generation graphics cards consists of Radeon RX 9070 XT, RX 9070, and RX 9060 XT models. Last December, a longer list of GPUs appeared online—this pre-Christmas 2024 leak revealed Radeon RX 9060, RX 9050 and RX 9040 identifiers. Team Red seems to be working on populating the lower end of its Radeon RX 9000 family—similarly, Team Green is reportedly expanding its "Blackwell" GPU generation into the "entry-mainstream" segment with their RTX 5050 card design.

Late last week, a Mexican PC hardware retailer inadvertently added Radeon RX 9060 and 9050 categories (not product listings) to its webstore. Noted graphics card watchdogs picked up on the shop's accidental adding of search filters; prompting the swift removal of NDA-busting material (by the time of writing). Resultant VideoCardz news coverage has spread the word of possible forthcoming launches of much cheaper RDNA 4 GPU models. AMD and involved board partners are likely aiming to get lower-mid-range Radeon RX 9060 XT cards out of the door by the second quarter of 2025. Recent leaks indicate Radeon RX 9060 (non-XT) and RX 9050-class products potentially arriving at retail closer to summertime, with speculated "Navi 44" GPUs onboard.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, introduces the CVN B850I GAMING FROZEN Mini-ITX motherboard for the Ryzen 9000 Series processors. The CVN B850I GAMING FROZEN is a compact yet powerful Mini-ITX motherboard featuring a sleek design that blends geometric slanted lines with military-inspired elements. It is equipped with a dedicated PCIe 5.0 M.2 heatsink and CNC composite cooling grooves, enhancing thermal efficiency while emphasizing the motherboard's rugged and durable construction.

Built with the B850 chipset, the CVN B850I supports AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series processors. It features a 10-layer high-speed PCB with a 9+2+1 phase power delivery system, ensuring stable performance even for the high-end Ryzen 9 9950X. Additionally, the second-generation memory routing design enables support for up to 8000 MHz dual-channel DDR5 memory. The motherboard also includes a PCIe 5.0 GPU slot, dual front and rear Type-C 10G ports, and a Wi-Fi 6E module, making it ideal for building a high-performance, wireless Ryzen-based system.

Today ESDigital Games and developer Storm in a Teacup are proud to announce the official release date for Steel Seed, out April 10, 2025, on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Check out the game's new trailer for a glimpse of the sci-fi stealth-action gameplay, parkour and storytelling that await!

Can't hold on till then? Play Steel Seed's new Steam demo, available now until the game's official launch. Explore the game's introduction, experiencing key mechanics like stealth action, epic battles and more.

The day that we have been working towards for one year, and around 5 years overall for the studio (Dart Games). Our game—Do No Harm—is out! We are excited to show it to you. Hope you like it. We are also excited to announce a bundle with Death & Taxes.

Do No Harm is a doctor simulator with a Lovecraftian twist. You take on the role of a village doctor, diagnosing and treating patients using ancient and often cryptic medical procedures. If you're a fan of profession-related simulators or games that test your decision-making under pressure, Do No Harm is a unique blend of strategy and horror that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Last week, Acer registered a glut of new graphics card SKUs—an extensive EEC filing revealed several unannounced Nitro and Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 9060 XT models. The AMD board partner seems to be preparing two memory configurations for its lower-end RDNA 4 custom cards: 16 GB and 8 GB (GDDR6). VideoCardz reached out to AIB industry moles, in order to establish whether the aforementioned specification points were concrete. A past weekend report "reconfirms" incoming 16 GB and 8 GB variants. Going back to RDNA 3, Team Red released its Radeon RX 7600 XT GPU in 16 GB form, while the cheaper Radeon RX 7600 made do with a VRAM pool of 8 GB. An unnamed board partner's list of launch day offerings reportedly contains basic technical specs (see screenshot below).

Leaked Radeon RX 9060 XT details show 16 GB GDDR6 and 8 GB GDDR6 variants, with 128-bit memory interfaces. VideoCardz believes that 20 Gbps memory chips will be utilized, as featured on recently launched Radeon RX 9070 series cards. The leaked product list indicates that required juice will be delivered through a lone 8-pin power connector; a minimum PSU requirement suggestion is 500 W, although this could jump up to 550 W for factory overlocked SKUs. A speculative "Navi 48 LE" GPU variant is present within TechPowerUp's GPU database entry for the Radeon RX 9060 XT. VideoCardz reckons that a "Navi 44" GPU would be more appropriate for this class; perhaps derived from a mobile part. The leak suggests the presence of a single HDMI 2.1 port, as well as two DP 2.1 ports—a smaller GPU would have trouble driving more than that. During an official RDNA 4 launch event—held in Beijing, late last month—a Team Red representative announced a loose Q2 2025 launch window for Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards.

MiTAC Computing Technology Corp., a subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings Corp. and a global leader in server design and manufacturing, will showcase its latest AI and HPC innovations at Supercomputing Asia 2025, taking place from March 11 at Booth #B10. The event highlights MiTAC's commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology with the introduction of the G4520G6 AI server and the TN85-B8261 HPC server—both engineered to meet the growing demands of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications.

G4520G6 AI Server: Performance, Scalability, and Efficiency Redefined
The G4520G6AI server redefines computing performance with an advanced architecture tailored for intensive workloads. Key features include:

• Exceptional Compute Power- Supports dual Intel Xeon 6 Processors with TDP up to 350 W, delivering high-performance multicore processing for AI-driven applications.
• Enhanced Memory Performance- Equipped with 32 DDR5 DIMM slots (16 per CPU) and 8 memory channels, supporting up to 8,192 GB DDR5 RDIMM/3DS RDIMM at 6400 MT/s for superior memory bandwidth.

TrendForce's latest research reveals that the global foundry industry exhibited a polarized trend in 4Q24. Advanced process nodes benefited from strong demand in AI servers, flagship smartphone application processors (APs), and new PC platforms, driving high-value wafer shipments. This growth helped offset the slowdown in mature process demand, allowing the top 10 foundries to achieve nearly 10% QoQ revenue growth, reaching US$38.48 billion, and marking another industry record.

TrendForce notes that new U.S. trade tariffs under the Trump administration have started affecting the foundry industry. A surge in recent orders for TVs, PCs, and notebooks bound for the U.S. in 4Q24 is expected to extend into 1Q25. Additionally, China's consumer subsidy program—introduced in late 2024—has spurred early inventory restocking among upstream customers. Combined with persistent demand for TSMC's AI-related chips and advanced packaging, these factors suggest that despite Q1 being a seasonally weak quarter, foundry revenue will only decline slightly.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is coming to Steam on March 20, inviting players to experience feudal Japan as the shinobi Naoe or the samurai Yasuke, each of whom have their own unique set of weapons, abilities, and gameplay strengths. The Assassin's Creed team released a 20-minute gameplay video showing Naoe and Yasuke executing the same mission, with each character showing off their particular strengths in both stealth and combat.

In the video, Yasuke and Naoe are on a mission to assassinate Takahashi Shiro, a member of the Twisted Tree family currently holed up in the Nijo Palace. Naoe kicks things off in the shadows by taking on the mission at night, showing off her skills with the Hidden Blade to take out a Samurai Daisho, an elite enemy, and using her grappling hook to stay out of sight. To keep her stealthy approach hidden, she shows off the ability to extinguish lanterns and assassinate enemies through shoji doors, but when it's time to fight, you'll see she can hold her own with the legendary kusarigama, a long-range melee weapon.

ASUS today announced a VU Air Ionizer series of monitors designed to enhance users' well-being with a host of innovative features. The 23.8-inch VU249HFI-W and the 27-inch VU279HFI-W models feature FHD IPS panels with 178° viewing angles, 100 Hz refresh rates, and 1 ms Moving Picture Response Time (MPRT). Meanwhile, the top-of-the-range VU34WCIP-W boasts a 34-inch 1500R curved panel featuring USB Type-C connectivity, a 100 Hz refresh rate, and 1 ms MPRT. Each model has a built-in air ionizer that's able to remove up to 90% of airborne dust within three hours for improved air quality. The monitors also feature TÜV Rheinland-certified Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free technologies to reduce eye strain. In addition, eco-friendly packaging can be repurposed into multiple organizers and a phone stand.

Fresh, clean air
Powered by nano-ion technology, the air ionizer in each of these monitors is positioned to purify the air directly in front of the user, effectively removing pollen, allergen, and other pollutants, and reducing 90%i of airborne dust in just three hours. The ionizer has an effective coverage area of 1 m³, purifying air throughout a workspace for comfortable productivity. With no filters required, ASUS VU Air Ionizer series monitors seamlessly combine air purification and cutting-edge display technologies in one streamlined design.

Synaptics Incorporated has extended its award-winning Synaptics Astra AI-Native platform with the SR-Series high-performance adaptive microcontroller units (MCUs) for scalable context-aware Edge AI. The series features three tiers of operation: performance (100 GOPS), efficiency, and ultra-low-power (ULP) always-on (AON) to deliver intelligence at every power level. Based on an Arm Cortex-M55 core and the Arm Ethos-U55 neural processing unit (NPU), the SR-Series is supported by the Astra Machina Micro development kit and open-source SDK. It is optimized for multimodal consumer, enterprise, and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) workloads with accelerators and adaptive vision, audio, and voice algorithms. The small-form-factor MCUs have a rich set of peripherals—including multiple camera interfaces—to help minimize system cost, power, and footprint while enabling integration into a wide range of devices, such as battery-operated security cameras, sensors, appliances, point-of-sale, digital signage, and scanners.

Announced at EW2024 with the SL-Series MPUs, the Synaptics Astra AI-Native compute platform for the IoT combines scalable, low-power compute silicon for the device Edge with open-source, easy-to-use software and tools and Veros wireless connectivity. The platform was built upon Synaptics' foundation in neural networks, field-hardened AI hardware and compiler design expertise for the IoT, and refined, in-house support of a broad base of modalities.

Realtek Semiconductor will participate in the globally acclaimed top technology event—the Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, from March 11 to 13. Highlighted exhibits will include networking multimedia applications, Ethernet solutions for various transmission media, industrial Ethernet switch application solutions, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi/IoT solutions. These exhibits will demonstrate Realtek's innovation in multimedia and communication networks, combined with AI-powered smart applications, providing customers with stable, reliable, and high-performance solutions.

Networked Multimedia Application
Realtek provides end customers with a highly secure, sustainably upgradeable, open-source, and shared Linux platform. Designed to meet the needs of SoCs, it leverages an advanced 12 nm process, a high-performance CPU/GPU, and Edge AI computing with NPU to fully support 4K video decoding and all HDMI 2.1 functions. It also enables audio and video transmission via DisplayPort. Additionally, the platform features high integration with multiple interfaces, including USB, PCIe, GPIO, UART, and SDIO. For system integration, Realtek incorporates its NICs (1G/2.5G/10 Gbps) and Wi-Fi/BT chips. SoCs are able to seamlessly connect to panels of various sizes via built-in MIPI or eDP, ensuring compatibility with networked multimedia applications.

Taiwanese ODM Compal Electronics has secured an iF Design Award 2025 for its innovative "Infinite Laptop" concept. It features a horizontally expanding display that transforms from a standard 14-inch screen to an ultrawide 18-inch workspace. Unlike recent expandable display prototypes from Lenovo that unfold vertically, Compal's approach addresses productivity needs through horizontal expansion, potentially offering significant advantages for multi-tasking professionals and content creators. The design appears to leverage cutting-edge rollable OLED technology, with the display extending from both left and right sides of the base unit while maintaining the central viewing area above the keyboard. Award documentation suggests the concept prioritizes a balance between portability and productivity. Additional features may include LED notification indicators integrated into the laptop lid, though specific implementation details remain limited.

As an Original Design Manufacturer, Compal typically creates hardware for other brands rather than marketing products under its own name. The company has a track record of award-winning concept designs that don't always reach commercial production. This raises questions about whether the Infinite Laptop will transition from concept to consumer product. The expandable display trend represents a new frontier in laptop design, offering an alternative to traditional compromises in portable computing. While external monitors solutions have provided workarounds for screen real estate, integrated expandable displays could eliminate the need for additional peripherals while maintaining portability. Lenovo has already developed a few interesting laptop concepts, such as the ThinkBook Flip AI PC concept, which introduces an outward folding OLED display and a solar-powered laptop. To see innovation in the laptop space is very heartwarming, even if it is only a concept/prototype for now.

NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce RTX 50 series mainstream lineup has been leaked, thanks to the well-known leaker kopite7kimi, revealing the complete specification profile of the RTX 5050, RTX 5060, and RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards. The entry-level RTX 5050 features GB207-300-A1 silicon on a PG152-SKU50 board with 2,560 CUDA cores and 8 GB of the older GDDR6 memory across a 128-bit interface at 130 W, while the mid-tier RTX 5060 utilizes GB206-250-A1 silicon on a PG152-SKU25 board housing 3,840 CUDA cores with 8 GB of the latest GDDR7 memory at 150 W. The more powerful RTX 5060 Ti implements GB206-300-A1 silicon with two board versions, PG152-SKU10/15, presumably for two memory configurations. It features 4,608 CUDA cores paired with either 8 GB or 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and a 180 W power envelope.

Most notable is the adoption of next-generation GDDR7 memory technology in both RTX 5060 variants while maintaining the 128-bit memory bus across all three models. While the entry-level RTX 5050 model utilizes GDDR6 memory, the RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti are awarded with the faster GDDR7. The consistent 128-bit interface suggests NVIDIA is leveraging memory compression technologies and GDDR7's increased bandwidth to deliver performance improvements without widening the memory bus. Each tier features a slight increase in CUDA core count, a modest boost over the previous generation RTX 40 series. With the RTX 5050 targeting 1080p gaming, the RTX 5060 is positioned for high-refresh 1080p and entry-level 1440p, and the RTX 5060 Ti is likely aimed at solid 1440p performance across most titles. While we don't know the exact release date, we can expect to hear more about the availability in the coming weeks.

NVIDIA has finally responded to widespread stability problems affecting its RTX 50 series "Blackwell" GPU lineup with the release of GeForce Hotfix Display Driver 572.75. The emergency update specifically targets two critical issues: black screen crashes plaguing the entire RTX 50 series and performance degradation after system reboots when overclocking RTX 5080/5090 models. This hotfix arrives after weeks of user complaints about system instability, particularly when utilizing DLSS 4 frame generation and other advanced features. The release comes directly through NVIDIA's Customer Care support site rather than standard distribution channels, packed in the hotfix release.

According to NVIDIA's release notes, the driver underwent an "abbreviated QA process" to spread its availability to affected users. While the company acknowledges the complexity of its driver software and has "an army of software engineers" addressing bugs, many early Blackwell buyers have expressed frustration over paying premium prices for hardware hindered by fundamental stability issues. NVIDIA has indicated that these fixes and additional improvements will be incorporated into the next official WHQL-certified driver release, though no specific timeline has been provided. At TechPowerUp, we don't host hotfix drivers, only WHQL versions, so you must go to NVIDIA's website here to download the latest driver.

Dynabook recently made headlines with its X30W laptop, which was claimed to be one of the lightest laptops available on the market. Now, the company has introduced the Z40L-N laptop, also with Intel's Lunar Lake-equipped internals and an impressively lightweight chassis. However, the Z40L-N packs yet another trick up its sleeve - the laptop boasts a battery that is relatively easy to replace, at least by modern standards. At its core, the Z40L-N laptop is powered by Intel's Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake CPUs, up to the Core Ultra 7 258V with 32 GB of onboard memory. Clearly, the laptop packs plenty of computing horsepower, and the integrated Arc 140 V GPU should be enough for non-intensive workloads and casual gaming.

At the front, a 14-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 is on offer. With a sub-1-kg (~2.2 lbs) weight, the 14-inch laptop is effortless to carry around in a backpack, and the 56 Whr battery should provide for decently long runtimes away from the wall. As stated previously, the battery is not glued to the chassis, and is therefore relatively easy to replace simply by removing the back panel and then the battery itself. The base configuration starts at $1,699, and ships with the Core Ultra 5 226V CPU with 16 GB of memory and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. There are a plenty of ports on offer, including a selection of USB-A and USB-C (including Thunderbolt 4) ports, microSD slot, audio jack, as well as a RJ45 gigabit LAN port. For wireless communication, Wi-Fi 7 as well as Bluetooth is present. The higher-end variant with the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU with 32 GB of memory commands a $500 premium over the standard variant, which is to be expected.

It would be incredibly hard to argue that Apple's recently unveiled M4-equipped MacBook Air is the company's best value laptop in quite a while. With a lower starting price and twice the memory, the refreshed MacBook Air sure does a great job enticing students and casual users. The system has recently made its debut on the popular benchmarking platform Geekbench, boasting CPU and GPU performance that is right around what one might expect from the M4 SoC, which we have seen previously in the iPad Pro as well as multiple Macs. In single-core, the M4 MacBook Air managed a score of 3,680 points, and in multicore, the M4 raked in 14,924 points. Of course, the fanless MacBook Air will almost certainly struggle to keep up with its actively cooled siblings in sustained workloads.

In GPU performance, the MacBook Air raked in 54,864 points in Geekbench's Metal GPU benchmark, which is marginally lower than the M4 SoC's average of 57,000 points in the Mac mini and MacBook Pro, both of which are actively cooled. Considering the starting price of $999, the M4 MacBook Air with 16 GB of unified memory is plenty performant for the vast majority of laptop users. Of course, the entry-level storage of a paltry 256 GB is a borderline deal-breaker in 2025, compounded by the fact that Apple refuses to grace its products with user upgradeable storage. For those who can look past it, the M4 MacBook Air sure has a lot going for it.

There is no shortage of folks who have modest performance expectations from their systems, but require a large display for entertainment and creativity purposes. ASUS has introduced a massive new laptop seemingly intended for such people, dubbed the Vivobook 18. As the name suggests, the laptop sports a large 18.3-inch display with an aspect ratio of 16:10. As we shall find out later, the product is affordably priced, which justifies the 1080p IPS display. At its size, a higher-resolution panel would've certainly been a welcome addition. Thankfully, however, the display boasts a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which should allow for an excellent motion experience. The display is also claimed to cover 100% of the sRGB color gamut, which is pretty neat.

At its heart, the Vivobook 18 is powered by the Ryzen 7 260 APU with 8 Zen 4 cores and 16 threads paired with up to 32 GB of DDR5 memory. The APU is no slouch, and packs enough grunt to trade blows with the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU. There is no option for discrete graphics, which means that any graphically demanding task will have to solely rely on the integrated Radeon 780M iGPU. For non-intensive workloads and casual lightweight gaming, the RDNA 3-based Radeon 780M should easily suffice. An M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x 4 slot takes care of storage requirements, with 512 GB as standard. The memory is also upgradeable, courtesy of the single unpopulated SODIMM slot.

Just recently, Apple somewhat stunned the industry with the introduction of its refreshed Mac Studio with the M4 Max and M3 Ultra SoCs. For whatever reason, the Cupertino giant decided to spec its most expensive Mac desktop with an Ultra SoC that is based on an older generation, M3, instead of the newer M4 family. However, the M3 Max, which the M3 Ultra is based on, was no slouch, indicating that the M3 Ultra will likely boast impressive performance. However, if a collection of recent benchmark runs are anything to go by, it appears that the M3 Ultra is a tad too closely matched with the M4 Max in CPU performance, which makes the $2000 premium between the two SoCs rather difficult to digest. Needless to say, a single benchmark is hardly representative of real-world performance, so accept this information with a grain of salt.

According to the recently spotted Geekbench result, the M3 Ultra managed a single-core score of 3,221, which is roughly 18% slower than the M4 Max. In multicore performance, one might expect the 32-core M3 Ultra to sweep the floor with the 16-core M4 Max, but that is not quite the case. With a score of 27,749, the M3 Ultra leads the M4 Max by an abysmal 8%. Of course, these are early runs, which may suggest that future scores will likely be higher. However, it is clear as day that the M3 Ultra and the M4 Max, at least in terms of CPU performance, will be close together in multithreaded performance, with the M4 Max continuing to be substantially faster than the far more expensive M3 Ultra variant in single-threaded performance. It does appear that the primary selling point for the M3 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio will be the massive 80-core GPU and up to 512 GB of unified memory shared by the CPU and the GPU, which should come in handy for running massive LLMs locally and other niche workloads.

Welcome to the second week of March, which takes us to the end of feudal Japan for this week's major release. This is followed by what can only be called a Minecraft wannabe, but with slightly less blocky graphics, a cozy game about tea, a PvP action roguelike, some H. P. Lovecraft inspired horror and finally some big guys and gals in tights pretending to wrestle. The rest of this week was pretty slim pickings, so there are no additional new releases this week.

Rise of the Ronin / This week's major release / Tuesday 11 March
An open-world RPG set in the Bakumatsu period, where players take on the role of a ronin forging their own destiny. The game features multiple possible endings, allowing players to choose which faction to support—such as the anti-shogunate faction, pro-shogunate faction, or Western forces—which significantly alters the story's outcome. Steam link

NVIDIA has prepared a "Blackwell" Titan equivalent—RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU for professional visualization and local AI solutions. Based on the GB202 silicon, the RTX PRO 6000 is the closest solution to the full power of NVIDIA's prosumer-oriented Blackwell SKUs. With 24,064 CUDA cores on board, this configuration is just 512 CUDA cores shy from the complete GB202 24,576-core configuration. This is likely due to the yield defects, meaning that this is perhaps the highest CUDA core count model we will see based on GB202. Additionally, at 24,064 core RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell is carrying 2,340 more cores than the top-end consumer GeForce RTX 5090 with 21,760 CUDA cores. Based on the 600 W TGP, the new RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell should have lower clocks, given its bigger core count to maintain the TGP for its massive memory configuration. Remember, GDDR7 memory modules consume power, too.

With 96 GB of GDDR7 memory and ECC memory correction on board, it will primarily target professionals in 3D rendering, simulations, and local AI development. To cool the beastly configuration, NVIDIA opted for a double-flow-through cooler used on the RTX 5090, with an open-air design. Operating on a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface with four DisplayPort 2.1 connectors, the design remains double-slot in thickness. VideoCardz obtained pictures of it, which you can see below. Interestingly, the color accents of the new cooler are darker. We can expect to see more from NVIDIA and its new RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU from the upcoming GTC 2025 on March 17.

China's domestic extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography development is far from a distant dream. The newest system, now undergoing testing at Huawei's Dongguan facility, leverages laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP) technology, representing a potentially disruptive approach to EUV light generation. The system is scheduled for trial production in Q3 2025, with mass manufacturing targeted for 2026, potentially positioning China to break ASML's technical monopoly in advanced lithography. The LDP approach employed in the Chinese system generates 13.5 nm EUV radiation by vaporizing tin between electrodes and converting it to plasma via high-voltage discharge, where electron-ion collisions produce the required wavelength. This methodology offers several technical advantages over ASML's laser-produced plasma (LPP) technique, including simplified architecture, reduced footprint, improved energy efficiency, and potentially lower production costs.

The LPP method relies on high-energy lasers and complex FPGA-based real-time control electronics to achieve the same result. While ASML has refined its LPP-based systems over decades, the inherent efficiency advantages of the LDP approach could accelerate China's catch-up timeline in this critical semiconductor manufacturing technology. When the US imposed sanctions on EUV shipments to Chinese companies, the Chinese semiconductor development was basically limited as standard deep ultraviolet (DUV) wave lithography systems utilize 248 nm (KrF) and 193 nm (ArF) wavelengths for semiconductor patterning, with 193 nm immersion technology representing the most advanced pre-EUV production technique. These longer wavelengths contrast with EUV's 13.5 nm radiation, requiring multiple patterning techniques to achieve advanced nodes.

The legendary KONAMI JRPGs Suikoden I and Suikoden II have now been remastered in HD! The Suikoden Series began its journey in 1995 and quickly gained popularity as KONAMI's original RPG series, releasing a total of 11 titles including spin-offs. Each installment of the game featured new locations and unique characters, thoughtfully woven together storylines, and more than 108 charming allies to tell a wartime story full of grandeur.

The Story of Suikoden I
A once renowned hero turns into a violent tyrant, and an empire falls into decline. A Liberation Army is rising up in an act of rebellion against an oppressive rule. One by one the 108 stars of Destiny gather to shape the course of history.

The Story of Suikoden II
Our story's hero and his friend Jowy are members of the Unicorn Youth Brigade, which participated in a drawn-out border dispute between the Highland Kingdom and the City-States of Jowston. A few months earlier, a truce agreement was signed between the two forces, both of which were happy to see an end to the fighting.

A former Respawn Entertainment employee has revealed the recent cancellation of an "unannounced incubation project." The ex-team member's LinkedIn profile post/job-seeking alert (now removed) was widely reported on by games media outlets; leading to speculation regarding the mystery title's origins and identity. The Los Angeles, California-based company created a "new game incubation team" not too long ago—recruitment information from last year pointed to a role description that demanded: "significant professional experience designing multiplayer FPS experiences." Respawn Entertainment operates as a multi-team and multi-location development studio—with branches working on Apex Legends, Star Wars and mystery IPs. The Electronic Arts-owned firm is masterminded by Vince Zampella; a veteran developer of popular first-person shooter franchises. Based on recent official account disclosures, the EA executive is currently tasked with the challenging revival of Battlefield's fortunes.

In 2023, Zampella indicated that he was open to revisiting Respawn's long-dormant Titanfall intellectual property. The second entry in the series underperformed sales-wise when it first launched back in October 2016. Despite a fantastic critical reception and vocal support from Titanfall 2's audience, EA leadership decided to put the franchise on ice. Last March, insiders started to make speculative noise about a revival—Steve Fukuda was mentioned in leaks. His CV lists the helming of development on both Titanfall 1 and 2; as game director. The latest talk of a canceled project was soon linked back to Respawn's rumored "unannounced Titanfall IP" prototype. Respawn's website still advertises the existence of their "new game incubation team," but links lead to recruitment posts for other "active" projects. EA officially announced the shelving of the studio's "Star Wars FPS Action game" around early 2024. Respawn and EA are likely focusing on core franchises for the foreseeable future; their Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sequel seems to be a safe bet.

Set in an eerie, Lovecraftian reimagining of 1920s America, The Sinking City 2 is a narrative-driven, third-person survival horror game coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2025. Harnessing the full power of Unreal Engine 5, we're crafting an immersive horror experience that will plunge players into a world of mystery, madness, and cosmic terror. But to take our vision even further, we need your help!

What Awaits You in Arkham?
After the devastating flood, Arkham is a shadow of its former self. A city partially submerged, abandoned by most, and left to rot. The remaining survivors have their own reasons for staying, but their presence offers no reassurance. Everyone has an agenda, and no one can be trusted. With a semi-open world design, Arkham is denser and more detailed than ever, packed with quests, secrets, and environmental storytelling. There's no hand-holding—you'll need to explore, observe, and piece things together yourself. Navigate its ruins on foot or by boat, uncover hidden paths, and discover areas that may have been better left undisturbed.

Earlier today, AMD confirmed finalized price points and a launch date for its two incoming additions to the Ryzen 9000X3D processor lineup. The current Zen 5 processor population (with 3D V-Cache onboard) has a count of one—Team Red's reigning gaming champion: the eight-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D model. AMD's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Computing and Graphics was the first staffer to make an official announcement regarding definitive talking points. Jack Huynh stated (via a social media post): the world's best processor for gaming and content creation is almost here. Available starting March 12th. Ryzen 9 9950X3D—$699. Ryzen 9 9900X3D—$599. A huge thank you to our incredible community of gamers, creators, and innovators for your continued support. Together, we're shaping the future of gaming and content creation! Let's level up together!"

The sixteen-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D and twelve-core 9900X3D SKUs were officially unveiled at CES 2025, in early January. Since then, many leaks have emerged online—certain soothsayers were bang on with their predictions. Almost a month ago, speculative $699 and $599 price points were leaked. On two separate occasions, a—now confirmed—March 12 launch day was projected. AMD is expected to lift media embargoes on March 11; reviews of finalized silicon will finally reveal whether the two new players can beat their incumbent sibling in gaming performance benchmarks. As reported this afternoon, China's JD.com retail platform has opened its order book to customers—a limited quantity of Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D units were made available for a short period of time.

Developer and publisher Tripwire Interactive today announced that the highly anticipated next chapter in the studio's legendary Killing Floor franchise, Killing Floor 3, will be delayed and will not launch on the previously announced release date of March 25. Revealed in a message directly to its community, Tripwire, with support from its parent company The Embracer Group, announced the delay and discussed initial details on what the team is evaluating as priority issues to address. The delay will move the game's launch to a date to be determined later in 2025. Fans who have pre-ordered the game will be offered refunds and can refer to the online FAQ for additional details.

Killing Floor 3 is the next installment in the legendary co-op action/horror FPS series. The year is 2091, 70 years after the events in Killing Floor 2, and megacorp Horzine has produced the ultimate army: an obedient horde of bioengineered monstrosities called Zeds. Now, the only thing standing between these infernal creations and the future of humanity is the rebel rogue group known as Nightfall. This intense first-person shooter puts players in the role of a Nightfall specialist, joining forces with up to five teammates as they battle through a war-ravaged, dystopian future, surviving unrelenting waves of Zeds, unlocking new skills, and building the ultimate arsenal.

Josef Fares is a passionate creator, innovator, and a bold leader. These qualities have long served him well as the Director of Hazelight Studios, where he's built a reputation for delivering emotionally charged and deeply immersive interactive entertainment experiences. Known for his unique style and knack for blending humor, heart, and innovative gameplay, Fares has captivated the gaming world with his work on titles like A Way Out and critical darling It Takes Two. And now, after years of anticipation and dedication, Josef is back with Hazelight's latest creation: Split Fiction.

We sat down with Josef prior to launch (available March 6 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and through the EA app) for an exclusive Q&A to dive into the creative process behind Split Fiction, the challenges of bringing such a complex vision to life, and one level in particular that he believes is something that has never been seen before in video games. Let's dive in!

Earlier in the week, online chatter pointed to a possible delay in the production of Panther Lake silicon. Well-known industry analyst—Ming-Chi Kuo—has kept tabs on the inner workings of several big semiconductor players. A previous insider tale revealed NVIDIA's allegedly revised "Blackwell" architecture roadmap. Kuo's latest insight focused on Intel and their 18A node process; rumored setbacks have reportedly pushed the launch of next-gen Panther Lake (PTL) mobile processors into 2026. Team Blue leadership has already reacted to the relatively fresh allegations—earlier in the week, John Pitzer sat down with Morgan Stanley Semiconductor Research's Joe Moore. During their conference fireside chat, Intel's Corporate Vice President of Investor Relations addressed recent internet whispers.

When asked about 18A being developed on schedule, Pitzer responded with: "yes, it is. I mean, I tend to wake up every morning trying to fish through rumors that are coming across on social media about Intel 18A. I want to be very clear. Panther Lake is on track to launch in the second half of this year. That launch date has not changed. We feel really good about the progress that we are making. In fact, if you look at where our yields are on Panther Lake today, they're actually slightly ahead at a similar point in time to Meteor Lake, if you look at the development process for Meteor Lake. I think a couple of weeks ago, there was a technical paper out that actually looked at our SRAM density on Intel 18A that compared well with TSMC's N2. Lots of different metrics you can compare technologies on. I think in general, we think about Intel 18A being an N3 type/N2 sort of comp with the external peers." Panther Lake is set to become the company's first product family that will utilize its own Foundry's 18A node process. Mid-way through February, we heard about the importance of PTL with Intel's portable gaming strategy.

The Zone has never been so loud before! At the rest stops, stalkers are singing songs and playing the guitar. Laughter is heard everywhere: from Zalissya to Wild Island and beyond! At some point even the Quiet's Camp turned into a traffic jam. This week we are celebrating the 6 million stalkers who have come to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2: Heart of Chornobyl. Six million! A scope that is hard to comprehend, but it is real thanks to you. We are incredibly grateful and proud that each of you has left a unique mark in the Zone. Good hunting, stalkers!

Flip Side of the Zone
Local depths hold more than just artifacts and relics. They hold forgotten ambitions and dangerous knowledge, bearing scars from experiments that blur the line between science and madness. Many stalkers believe they're simply searching for material wealth, yet they brush against remnants of humanity's boldest and most perilous dreams. Old research facilities, buried under layers of dust and dread, were once brimming with the promise of progress—only to become cold graves for those strives, when the Zone was born.

Google security researchers have published comprehensive details on "EntrySign," a significant vulnerability affecting all AMD Zen processors through Zen 4. The flaw allows attackers with local administrator privileges to install custom microcode updates on affected CPUs, bypassing AMD's cryptographic verification system. The vulnerability stems from AMD's use of AES-CMAC as a hash function in its signature verification process—a critical cryptographic error. CMAC is designed as a message authentication code, not a secure hash function. The researchers discovered that AMD had been using a published example key from NIST documentation since Zen 1, allowing them to forge signatures and deploy arbitrary microcode modifications. These modifications can alter CPU behavior at the most fundamental level, enabling sophisticated attacks that persist until the next system reboot.

Google's security team has released "zentool," an open-source jailbreak toolkit allowing researchers to create, sign, and deploy custom microcode patches on vulnerable processors. The toolkit includes capabilities for microcode disassembly, patch authoring with limited assembly support, and cryptographic signing functions. As a proof-of-concept, the researchers demonstrated modifying the RDRAND instruction to consistently return predetermined values, effectively compromising the CPU's random number generation. AMD has issued microcode updates that replace the compromised validation routine with a custom secure hash function. The company's patches also leverage the AMD Secure Processor to update the validation routine before x86 cores can process potentially tampered microcode. While the attack requires local administrator access and doesn't persist through power cycles, it poses significant risks to confidential computing environments using technologies like SEV-SNP and DRTM. The researchers noted their findings could enable further CPU security research beyond exploit development, potentially allowing the implementation of new security features similar to those developed for Intel processors through similar techniques.

Yesterday's global launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 was a relatively successful affair; day one stock was swiftly snapped up. Naturally, buying conditions were not ideal for every customer. Despite a prominent UK retailer's teasing of plentiful supply (pre-launch), online feedback pointed to apparent limited supplies of RDNA 4 cards across European regions. Fresh reports suggest that anticipated fluid price conditions have caused a larger than expected rush at retail; hence the rapid depletion of opening day stock. As reported yesterday, a handful of PC hardware stores have alluded to forthcoming upward shifts in pricing for the lower-end of an all-board partner-built Radeon RX 9070 series graphics card lineup. VideoCardz has highlighted a disgruntled customer's experience with Ebuyer UK. Bran180s—a Radeon subreddit member—managed to snag a baseline MSRP conformant Sapphire PULSE RX 9070 XT model for the ideal launch price (£569.99, including VAT), but the webstore reneged this transaction.

A screenshot was uploaded to Reddit, alongside a short story: "was on the website ready for the launch of the RX 9070 XT, got one straight away and paid no issues. Ebuyer emailed me today to cancel, and now the price is £150 more." The British e-tailer has issued apologies, following the absorption of online criticism (see relevant screenshot below). The "normal price" of Sapphire's basic Pulse card was eventually adjusted to a mere £664.98, but Ebuyer has de-listed this SKU (at the time of writing). Other UK webshops—Scan, AWD-IT, CCL, Box etc.—have similarly implemented price hikes across low, mid and premium card tiers. Australia's Hardware Unboxed managed to extract an official response from AMD—their social media post quoted Frank Azor. The Team Red exec indicated that his team is ready to intervene: "it is inaccurate that $549/$599 MSRP is launch-only pricing. We expect cards to be available from multiple vendors at $549/$599 (excluding region specific tariffs and/or taxes) based on the work we have done with our AIB partners, and more are coming. At the same time, the AIBs have different premium configurations at higher price points and those will also continue."

Considering that CPUs like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D are turning heads everywhere for their unstoppable gaming prowess, you might be thinking about building a new PC in 2025. You'll need a potent graphics card to power your gaming ambitions. Today, you have more options on that front than ever. We're expanding our portfolio of AMD-powered graphics cards with Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 models from TUF Gaming and Prime.

Next-gen feature set
Armed with the latest RDNA 4 architecture and a supersized 16 GB serving of VRAM, these graphics cards stand poised to give you premium gaming experiences for years to come. Next-gen HYPR-RX tech delivers ultra-fast gaming, and you'll enjoy next-level immersion with the latest AI-powered features from AMD, including an improved experience with ray tracing. New for this generation is a machine-learning based super resolution mode compatible with select FSR 3.1 games that gives you an incredible balance of detailed images and fluid frame rates. DisplayPort 2.1 outputs give you incredible bandwidth for going big on resolution while supporting high-end refresh rates.

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors are reportedly due to launch mid-way through next week (March 12)—this "unofficial" release date was revealed by JD.com listings. Yesterday's report focused on the popular Chinese e-commerce platform's apparent leaking of Team Red's mid-March schedule. Last month, a local tipster—Golden Pig Upgrade—also alluded to a possible March 12 rollout of 16 and 12-core 3D V-Cache-equipped Zen 5 chips. In a surprise move, JD has started selling Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D units. Earlier today, ITHome spotted updated product pages—JD disclosed that it was prepping an earlier than expected sale: "limited time and limited quantity available at 20:00 (local time) on March 7."

Officially, AMD has only teased a loose March launch window for its latest Ryzen Niners. VideoCardz has kept track of the company's recent announcements, and opines that the Ryzen 9000X3D release strategy is strange one. Embargoes for reviewer and influencers are tipped for lifting on March 11, so JD's premature sale of Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors clashes with this schedule. JD's unusual 20:00 release time was highlighted by VideoCardz; they reckon that the 22:00 hour is a more appropriate kick-off time. It is possible that the limited quantity/short period sale was a mislabeled promotion for pre-orders—something could be lost in translation (see primary screenshot below), but similar events were reported in recent history.

What do you want? You need a tutorial? A map? Someone to hold your hand? Pathetic. But it's your lucky day. Today I'm in a good mood. Alright, listen up: Styx: Blades of Greed is coming and that means I've got work to do. A brand-new adventure, bigger heists, deadlier tricks, and an even sharper tongue. Get ready to sneak, steal, and stab your way through a world on the brink of war. Got my own crew (Yes I have my own crew now), my own zeppelin (Pretty cool, huh?), and my own mission: stealing every last piece of Quartz, the most powerful resource out there in this rotten world. Problem is, like in a classic Fantasy universe, there are some self-righteous lunatics (*cough* the Inquisition *cough*) and think they can stop me. Adorable.

Everyone's favorite Green Goblin is back! No, not that one! This one doesn't need a fancy metal suit to cause mayhem, a couple of Quartz crystals and a trap or two will do more than enough damage. Fans of stealth games can rejoice as Styx is making a triumphant comeback with new powers and tools. But this time he's unshackled, pursuing his own goals, building his crew aboard a zeppelin while navigating a world on the brink of war. Though that is the perfect time to cause a l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ lot of chaos in this dark fantasy universe.

Leadtek has expanded its graphics card lineup into GeForce RTX 50-series territory, with a quiet introduction of three new generation WinFast models. We have not heard much—gaming-wise—from the Taiwanese manufacturer in recent years. Going back to Computex 2023, TechPowerUp staffers inspected several GeForce RTX 40-series offerings. Leadtek is involved in the production of NVIDIA professional graphics solutions—for data science and HPC workload purposes. Curiously, Team Green press material tends to only lightly mention its manufacturing partner's involvement. The newest WinFast entries have rolled out with "Blackwell" silicon and refreshed enclosures. As reported by VideoCardz, Leadtek has focused mainly on Asian PC gaming markets over the past decade—so the brand-new WinFast RTX 5090 HURRICANE 32G, RTX 5080 HURRICANE 16G, and RTX 5070 Ti HURRICANE 16G models are not expected to arrive on Western shores.

The 2025 WinFast HURRICANE package utilizes a triple-fan array paired with a robust heatsink design, and a "revamped" metal backplate. A total of ten heat pipes are advertised as providing strong heat dissipation—Leadtek's product description goes into more detail: "three 10 mm and seven 8 mm heat pipes, along with large aluminium fins and a vapor chamber base, quickly and efficiently dissipate heat." The three freshly introduced models all conform to NVIDIA reference specifications, so the HURRICANE cooling solution seems to be a bit over-engineered for purpose. Price details are not available at the time of writing, and an official press release is not present on Leadtek's website. The WinFast RTX 5090 HURRICANE card seems to sport a chunkier shroud, when lined up against its less powerful siblings. Leadtek has decorated its flagship with "Esports" ARGB lighting strips, while the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti variants make do with silver-ish accents instead.

A famous philosopher once said that cosmic forces coalesce during each rotation of the Earth around the Sun, calling forth a Nacon Connect from the aether. I for one, am not a man who questions the wisdom of unnamed famous philosophers or things that strangers tell me on the internet. Jokes aside, what I can tell you is that the 2025 edition of Nacon Connect was an absolute banger. And for those of you who missed it, let me share with you some of the biggest reveals and most exciting news from the show.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
Having trouble sleeping again? Like a nightmare from which you never awake; Nacon Connect started with the reveal of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. With conflict over Earth's dwindling resources, corporations turn to the depths of the ocean, unaware of the horrors that lie beneath the surface of the waves. Dive into the depths of the Pacific, investigating the disappearance of a group of miners with the help of your AI companion, Key, all the while resisting the calls of Cthulhu as you desperately cling to your sanity.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation, a global leader in NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today announced its participation in Embedded World 2025, taking place from March 11-13, 2025, in Nuremberg, Germany.

At the event, Silicon Motion will showcase its latest storage and display interface solutions, including PCIe NVMe Gen 4/5 SSD controllers, Ferri embedded storage solutions, and advanced display interface SoCs. These cutting-edge innovations are designed to maximize performance per watt, extend device longevity and power for the next generation of AI-driven industrial, embedded, automotive, and data center applications.

Avalue Technology introduces the HPM-GNRDE high-performance server motherboard, powered by the latest Intel Xeon 6 Processors (P-Core) 6500P & 6700P.

Designed to deliver quality computing performance, ultra-fast memory bandwidth, and advanced PCIe 5.0 expansion, the HPM-GNRDE is the ideal solution for AI workloads, high-performance computing (HPC), Cloud data centers, and enterprise applications. The HPM-GNRDE will make its debut at embedded world 2025, showcasing Avalue's innovation in high-performance computing.

NVIDIA is readying an entry-mainstream graphics card in the RTX 50-series "Blackwell" generation, likely called the GeForce RTX 5050. There is also the possibility of an RTX 5050 Ti positioned a notch above this, below the RTX 5060. The RTX 5050 is intended to be a successor to the RTX 3050. The RTX 40-series "Ada" generation did not have SKU in this segment, and its absence was felt recently when Intel launched the Arc B580 offering high performance/price under the $300-mark. There are no known specs of the RTX 5050 and RTX 5050 Ti, except that both feature 8 GB of memory size—something that turned the tide in Intel's favor with the B580 having 12 GB of it—and both SKUs come with a total graphics power (TGP) of around 135 W.

The two will be intended for 1080p gaming with mid-thru-high settings. It remains to be seen if NVIDIA implements Multi Frame Generation, because MFG is not a magic toggle that turns unplayable framerates to 60 FPS, however DLSS 4 with transformer upscaling, and perhaps even single frame generation could make it. NVIDIA is looking to target price-points of $199 and $249 with the RTX 5050 and RTX 5050 Ti, respectively. As for probable launch-date, Wccftech says that the cards could launch in the second half of April 2025, following the launch of the RTX 5060.

Samsung Electronics is taking a close look at its chip design and foundry operations. This action could lead to organizational restructuring, including executive reassignments and workforce reallocation. The initiative aims to strengthen Samsung's competitive position against industry leaders such as TSMC. In January, the company's executives initiated an in-depth evaluation of the System LSI division, which handles chip design. After that, the company plans to extend the review to its foundry business. Significant restructuring may occur within the System LSI division, one proposal involves transferring the Exynos system-on-chip (SoC) business to the Mobile Experience (MX) division to better align with Samsung's smartphone strategy.

Samsung is also evaluating the potential pause of investments in its Pyeongtaek (South Korea) and Taylor (US) manufacturing facilities for its foundry business. At the same time, the company is developing strategies to improve yield rates in its advanced manufacturing processes. Moreover, Samsung is also considering changes within its image sensor business, potentially shifting focus from high-resolution sensors toward products for autonomous vehicles and robotics applications. This action represents the first major internal assessment since Samsung established its management analysis department in November 2024. The primary objective is to revitalize underperforming business divisions.

We had the unpleasant surprise of learning on 03/06/2025, through an article on Kitguru website Link, that a Dutch retailer—UW GAME SPECIALIST—allegedly informed a customer that they were unable to fulfill their order because 5 GeForce RTX 5090 32G Suprim SOC from our brand had supposedly been recalled due to a fire hazard.

With this statement, we would like to make it clear that these allegations are absolutely false, that no recall program is in progress, and that our products present no such risk.

Furthermore, we would like to specify that this retailer is not one of MSI's partners, and we do not work with them.

We reserve the right to initiate legal proceedings against those responsible for these highly defamatory allegations, which harm our brand's reputation, as well as against anyone contributing to their dissemination.

On March 3, Longsys, a branded semiconductor memory enterprise, made its first-ever appearance at MWC 2025 in Barcelona. Under the theme "New Mode of Storage Empowering Global Mobility", it showcased a series of innovative storage products, attracting widespread attention.

PTM Business Model: Full-Stack Customization Service
The Product Technology Manufacturing (PTM) model was a major highlight, showcasing Longsys' full-stack customization capabilities—from in-house controller development and product design to rigorous testing and intelligent manufacturing.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company, today announced Amazon GameLift Streams, a fully managed capability that enables developers to deliver high-fidelity, low-latency game experiences to players using virtually any device with a browser. Game developers no longer need to spend time and resources modifying their games for streaming or building their own streaming infrastructure. Players around the world can begin playing games in seconds instead of waiting minutes for streams or hours for downloads. Amazon GameLift Streams is a new capability of Amazon GameLift, the AWS service that empowers developers to build and deliver the world's most demanding games. The new streaming capability opens opportunities for developers to deliver new experiences to more players, helping them grow engagement and sales of their games.

"With more than 750 million people playing games running on AWS every month, we have a long history of supporting the industry's game development, content creation, player acquisition, personalization, and more," said Chris Lee, general manager and head of Immersive Technology at AWS. "Amazon GameLift Streams can help the game industry transform billions of everyday devices around the world into gaming machines without rebuilding game code or managing your own infrastructure. For game developers, this creates exciting new revenue and monetization opportunities that weren't possible before."

TerraMaster, in collaboration with its partner Imagery Business Systems, has launched API-in-a-Box, marking a significant milestone in the field of software and hardware development. This pre-configured open-source solution integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and low-code technology with the TerraMaster F4-424 Max TNAS hardware, aiming to accelerate the creation of full-stack applications. It offers a seamless experience from requirement description to production deployment. Below is an analysis of its detailed features, target audience, and unique advantages.

Product Features and Technical Highlights
API-in-a-Box integrates several innovative features, making it an ideal tool for rapid development and deployment.

MSI IPC, a global leader in computing and AI-driven solutions, is set to unveil its latest Edge AI Computing innovations at Booth No. 1-389, Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany. Powered by the latest Intel platform, MSI's cutting-edge technologies will drive advancements in automation, digital signage management, and AI-driven customer interactions.

Several MSI's partners, including Alptech, Spo-comm, Spectra, and Elmark, are joining this event to showcase their cutting-edge solutions powered by MSI IPC products. Their demonstrations will feature a diverse range of applications, including 4U rackmount systems, Panel PCs (PPC), and KIOSK solutions, highlighting the versatility and performance of MSI's industrial computing technology in various sectors.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of premium gaming hardware, today launched the GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards powered by unified AMD RDNA 4 compute units with enhanced ray tracing capabilities for an ultra-immersive experience across all key gaming resolutions. To satisfy gamers' pursuit of speed, performance, and visuals for a smooth and immersive experience, GIGABYTE offers the AORUS Radeon RX 9070 XT ELITE 16G, Radeon RX 9070 XT GAMING OC 16G, and Radeon RX 9070 GAMING OC 16G, catering to various gaming needs.

GIGABYTE has upgraded the WINDFORCE cooling system, balancing performance and thermal efficiency. The new Hawk Fan design minimizes turbulence and noise, resulting in up to a 53.6% increase in air pressure and a 12.5% increase in air volume without compromising acoustics. Server-grade thermal conductive gel is used to cool critical components such as VRAM and MOSFETs. This highly deformable, non-fluid gel provides optimal contact even on uneven surfaces and effectively resists deformation from transport or long-term use. Combined with advanced thermal technologies like a larger heatsink, vapor chamber and copper plate, these cards ensure optimal performance and quiet operation under demanding workloads.⁠

The TechPowerUp HWBOT Team brought you the 2025 TPU HWBOT Contest, with cash prizes up for grabs. To win, PC enthusiasts would have to make submissions to our HWBOT Team, each submission is worth 10 points, and we have three winners for the top-3 contributors. The Contest was open in the months of January thru February, spanning a wide range of benchmarks and OC feats. The entries have closed, and we have our three top contributors.

• Deslok with 629 submissions, wins $150
• neurotix with 369 submissions, wins $100
• NattyKathy with 42 submissions, wins $50

A huge congratulations to you three, and thanks for everyone else to make our contest a success!

Learn more about the TechPowerUp HWBOT team, and check us out on HWBOT.