Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy Book4 Edge (15-inch), the latest addition to Samsung's Galaxy Book lineup, now powered by Qualcomm's cutting-edge Snapdragon X Plus 8-core platform. This new Copilot+ PC seamlessly integrates advanced AI capabilities, which elevate productivity and creativity to new heights.

Enhanced connectivity with the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem allows for one easy and efficient workflow across multiple devices, and further improves access to trailblazing Galaxy AI tools. All of these innovations are housed in a slim design featuring a 15.6-inch FHD display, a long-lasting battery with Super-Fast Charging and Samsung's multi-layer Samsung Knox security. The Galaxy Book4 Edge (15-inch) is available in select markets starting October in an iconic Sapphire Blue finish.

LG Electronics (LG) is excited to announce that its newest LG gram laptop featuring the Intel Core Ultra processor (Series 2) will be showcased at the Intel Core Ultra Global Launch Event from September 3-8. Renowned for its powerful performance and ultra-lightweight design, the LG gram series now integrates advanced AI capabilities powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processor. The LG gram 16 Pro, the first model to feature these new Intel processors, will be unveiled before its release at the end of 2024.

As the first on-device AI laptop from the LG gram series, it offers up to an impressive 48 neural processing unit (NPU) tera operations per second (TOPS), setting a new standard for AI PCs and providing the exceptional performance required for Copilot experiences. Powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processor, the LG gram 16 Pro is now more efficient thanks to advanced AI functionalities such as productivity assistants, text and image creation and collaboration tools. What's more, its extended battery life helps users handle tasks without worry.

Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, a Copilot+ PC and the first in the all-new Galaxy Book5 series. Performance upgrades made possible by the Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) bring next-level computing power, with up to 47 total TOPs NPU - and more than 300 AI-accelerated features across 100+ creativity, productivity, gaming and entertainment apps. Microsoft Phone Link provides access to your Galaxy phone screen on a larger, more immersive PC display, enabling use of fan-favorite Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search with Google, Chat Assist, Live Translate and more. And with the Intel ARC GPU, graphics performance is improved by 17%. When paired with stunning features like the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with Vision Booster and 10-point multi-touchscreen, Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 allows creation anytime, anywhere.

"The Galaxy Book5 series brings even more cutting-edge AI experiences to Galaxy users around the world who want to enhance and simplify their everyday tasks - a vision made possible by our continued collaboration with longtime industry partners," said Dr. Hark-Sang Kim, EVP & Head of New Computing R&D Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "As one of our most powerful PCs, Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 brings together top-tier performance with Galaxy's expansive mobile AI ecosystem for the ultimate AI PC experience."

MSI, a leading brand in gaming, content creation, and business & productivity laptops, proudly launched several next-gen AI+ gaming and business productivity laptops featuring the new Intel Core Ultra processor (Series 2) and AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series at IFA 2024. These laptops offer more AI computing power, making it the most robust platform for AI PC development, with more AI models, frameworks, and runtimes enable. Additionally, MSI officially launched the new Claw 8 AI+ Windows 11 gaming handheld device, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) and an 8-inch screen, providing a smoother and broader mobile gaming experience. MSI also announced the whole new Venture series laptops, redefining the combination of thin, light and powerful. Equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) and varieties of different size, from 14, 15.6, 16, to 17 inches.

"MSI not only brings the industry's most comprehensive AI+ PC lineup but also introduces multiple new laptops and handheld devices designed for gamers worldwide," said Eric Kuo, MSI's Executive Vice President and General Manager of NB Business Unit. "We welcome global guests to visit the MSI booth to experience next-gen AI computing and exciting gaming products."

Intel today launched its most efficient family of x86 processors ever, the Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors. They deliver exceptional performance, breakthrough x86 power efficiency, a massive leap in graphics performance, no-compromise application compatibility, enhanced security and unmatched AI compute. The technology will power the industry's most complete and capable AI PCs with more than 80 consumer designs from more than 20 of the world's top manufacturing partners, including Acer, ASUS, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, LG, MSI and Samsung. Pre-orders begin today with systems available globally on-shelf and online at over 30 global retailers starting Sept. 24. All designs featuring Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors and running the latest version of Windows are eligible to receive Copilot+ PC features as a free update starting in November.

"Intel's newest Core Ultra processors set the industry standard for mobile AI and graphics performance, and smash misconceptions about x86 efficiency. Only Intel has the scale through our partnerships with ISVs and OEMs, and the broader technology ecosystem, to provide consumers with a no-compromise AI PC experience."
--Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group

NVIDIA updated the official case badge of GeForce RTX with the byline "powering advanced AI." This case badge is prominently displayed in the retail box art of graphics cards, and pre-built desktops and notebooks. Although OEMs tend to skip this badge on the chassis of their gaming desktops, their notebooks tend to proudly flash the case-badge near that of the processor. The byline is well-earned, as NVIDIA is a leading hardware brand in AI acceleration, and even its most affordable GeForce RTX models include tensor cores, which accelerate AI inferencing.

TrendForce reports that memory module makers have been aggressively increasing their DRAM inventories since 3Q23, with inventory levels rising to 11-17 weeks by 2Q24. However, demand for consumer electronics has not rebounded as expected. For instance, smartphone inventories in China have reached excessive levels, and notebook purchases have been delayed as consumers await new AI-powered PCs, leading to continued market contraction.

This has led to a weakening in spot prices for memory products primarily used in consumer electronics, with Q2 prices dropping over 30% compared to Q1. Although spot prices remained disconnected from contract prices through August, this divergence may signal potential future trends for contract pricing.

Demonstrating the depth and breadth of its technologies at Hot Chips 2024, Intel showcased advancements across AI use cases - from the data center, cloud and network to the edge and PC - while covering the industry's most advanced and first-ever fully integrated optical compute interconnect (OCI) chiplet for high-speed AI data processing. The company also unveiled new details about the Intel Xeon 6 SoC (code-named Granite Rapids-D), scheduled to launch during the first half of 2025.

"Across consumer and enterprise AI usages, Intel continuously delivers the platforms, systems and technologies necessary to redefine what's possible. As AI workloads intensify, Intel's broad industry experience enables us to understand what our customers need to drive innovation, creativity and ideal business outcomes. While more performant silicon and increased platform bandwidth are essential, Intel also knows that every workload has unique challenges: A system designed for the data center can no longer simply be repurposed for the edge. With proven expertise in systems architecture across the compute continuum, Intel is well-positioned to power the next generation of AI innovation." -Pere Monclus, chief technology officer, Network and Edge Group at Intel.

Simply NUC, a global leader in customized PC solutions, in collaboration with Intel, proudly announces the Intel AI PC Development Kit. This advanced kit is equipped with the powerful Core Ultra 7 (155H), 32 GB RAM, 512 GB storage, and Windows 11 Pro, making it ideal for developers and researchers focused on AI innovation. The configured PC features Intel Iris Xe graphics and the OpenVINO toolkit, enabling optimized AI performance for deep learning and computer vision tasks.

The Intel AI PC Development Kit is tailored for software developers, data scientists, and educators focused on AI and machine learning projects. With robust processing capabilities, users can efficiently create, test, and deploy AI models. Additionally, as part of the Intel AI Developer Program, users gain access to valuable resources such as tutorials, webinars, and community support. Program participants can also enjoy a $500 discount on the kit, making it an affordable and comprehensive solution for AI innovation.

NVIDIA ACE is a revolutionary suite of digital human technologies that brings digital humans to life with generative AI. Since its debut at Computex 2023 in the Ramen Shop tech demo, ACE's capabilities have evolved rapidly.

At Gamescom 2024, we announced our first digital human technology on-device small language model improving the conversation abilities of game characters. We also announced that the first game to showcase these ACE and digital human technologies is Amazing Seasun Game's Mecha BREAK, bringing its characters to life and providing a more dynamic and immersive gameplay experience on GeForce RTX AI PCs.

Intel's ambitious new ultraportable mobile processor series, the Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake," launches on September 3, according to an Acer announcement for a media event covering the launch of its notebooks based on these chips. Acer scheduled this event on September 4, which means Intel to launch these processors no later than September 3. Media events by PC OEMs tend to follow a day after Intel's launch of a new processor generation or platform. A September 3 launch would precede the IFA 2024 Conference in Berlin, which kicks off on September 6, but which is open to press and industry delegates a little sooner, as is the norm for trade shows.

The Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" is Intel's first processor generation to implement MoP (memory on package), eliminating the need for discrete memory modules. This reduces the Z height as well as PCB footprint of the platform, enabling thinner notebooks. MoP also has certain power and latency advantages compared to discrete memory. The compute complex of "Lunar Lake" consists of a 4P+4E CPU with "Lion Cove" P-cores, and "Skymont" E-cores. This is also the first processor to debut Intel's Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics architecture, as it powers its iGPU. It packs a powerful NPU that meets Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC requirements. You can learn all about "Lunar Lake" in our architecture deep-dive.

In a strategic move to empower automakers with groundbreaking opportunities, Intel unveiled its first discrete graphics processing unit (dGPU), the Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive, at its AI Cockpit Innovation Experience event. To advance automotive AI, the product will be commercially deployed in vehicles as soon as 2025, accelerating automobile technology and unlocking a new era of AI-driven cockpit experiences and enhanced personalization for manufacturers and drivers alike.

Intel's entry into automotive discrete GPUs addresses growing demand for compute power in increasingly sophisticated vehicle cockpits. By adding the Intel Arc graphics for Automotive to its existing portfolio of AI-enhanced software-defined vehicle (SDV) system-on-chips (SoCs), Intel offers automakers an open, flexible and scalable platform solution that brings next-level, high-fidelity experiences to the vehicle.

Western Digital, a leader in Flash and HDD data storage, is unveiling groundbreaking solutions and technology demonstrations at FMS 2024 that raise the bar for performance, capacity and efficiency for transformative AI Data Cycle workloads. These innovations cater to diverse market segments from hyperscale cloud to automotive and consumer storage. Attendees will also gain insights from a keynote address by Rob Soderbery, executive vice president and general manager of Western Digital's Flash Business Unit, on Tuesday at 3 PM. During the keynote, Soderbery will delve into the strategic advancements propelling the future of NAND, AI and data storage from the data center to the edge.

"As AI technologies advance and become increasingly embedded in the world around us, the demand for storage will only continue to grow," said Soderbery. "Western Digital's product and technology roadmaps are strategically aligned to ensure our customers have the most advanced, reliable solutions to stay ahead in the rapidly changing AI landscape. This holistic approach ensures that our customers receive the most power-efficient, high-performing and high-capacity solutions tailored to their specific needs. We are excited to showcase our full range of products and new technologies and demonstrate how they can transform AI now and into the future."

Intel today announced that its lead products on Intel 18A, Panther Lake (AI PC client processor) and Clearwater Forest (server processor), are out of the fab and have powered-on and booted operating systems. These milestones were achieved less than two quarters after tape-out, with both products on track to start production in 2025. The company also announced that the first external customer is expected to tape out on Intel 18A in the first half of next year.

"We are pioneering multiple systems foundry technologies for the AI era and delivering a full stack of innovation that's essential to the next generation of products for Intel and our foundry customers. We are encouraged by our progress and are working closely with customers to bring Intel 18A to market in 2025." -Kevin O'Buckley, Intel senior vice president and general manager of Foundry Services

The Intel stock on NASDAQ slid 25% as of this writing, on Friday (08/02). This comes in the wake of the company's Q2-2024 quarterly results that held the company's profitability below expectations, leading the company to suspend quarterly dividend payouts starting Q4-2024, and engage a slew of measures to cut cost of revenue by over $10 billion. Among other things, this mainly involves downsizing the company across its various business units. Intel tried to keep investor spirits high by posting updates on how its 5N4Y (five silicon fabrication nodes in four years) plan is nearing completion, and how the company is at the cusp of raking in numbers from the AI PC upswing. To this effect, the company is launching its "Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake" processors within 2024, to address the various PC sub-segments. The Intel stock isn't churning in a silo, tech stock prices across the industry are witnessing corrections, although few as remarkable as Intel.

Intel Corporation today reported second-quarter 2024 financial results. "Our Q2 financial performance was disappointing, even as we hit key product and process technology milestones. Second-half trends are more challenging than we previously expected, and we are leveraging our new operating model to take decisive actions that will improve operating and capital efficiencies while accelerating our IDM 2.0 transformation," said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. "These actions, combined with the launch of Intel 18A next year to regain process technology leadership, will strengthen our position in the market, improve our profitability and create shareholder value."

"Second-quarter results were impacted by gross margin headwinds from the accelerated ramp of our AI PC product, higher than typical charges related to non-core businesses and the impact from unused capacity," said David Zinsner, Intel CFO. "By implementing our spending reductions, we are taking proactive steps to improve our profits and strengthen our balance sheet. We expect these actions to meaningfully improve liquidity and reduce our debt balance while enabling us to make the right investments to drive long-term value for shareholders."

ASUS is betting bigger on game consoles or PCs built like consoles. The company in 2023 introduced the first ROG Z13 Flow, a gaming-grade tablet, powered by a 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processor and mid-tier RTX 40-series "Ada" discrete mobile GPU. The 2025 ROG Z13 Flow is a 13-inch, 16:10 tablet with an integrated kickstand. You can use it like a handheld with touch controls, or place it on a surface and use conventional gaming peripherals, such as keyboard+mouse, or a game controller. Since the device is meant to provide a AAA gaming experience, it packs some serious kit.

Apparently, the 2025 ASUS ROG Z13 Flow will implement AMD's upcoming "Strix Halo" processor that packs up to 16 "Zen 5" CPU cores, and an oversized iGPU with 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units (2,560 stream processors), and a 256-bit LPDDR5 memory interface, besides a 50 TOPS-class NPU to qualify for Copilot+ AI PC rating. Such a chip would meet the hardware goals of the ROG Z13 Flow, and eliminate the need for a discrete GPU, letting ASUS reduce the mainboard size. The power management of "Strix Halo" would see the CPU and SoC given a roughly 30 W budget, and the iGPU roughly 80 W. Its cooling solution focuses squarely on the "Strix Halo" chip, with no other major chip on the device (the SoC is wired out to serve all chipset functions, no FCH needed).

ASUS announced availability for the company's new lineup of AMD Ryzen AI laptops featuring advanced AI capability with 50 TOPS NPU AI engines.

ASUS ProArt P16 / ProArt PX13
The new ASUS ProArt laptop lineup is designed to empower every creator — whether they are everyday users, outdoor content creators, or professionals — to transform their precious life moments into enduring stories. The lightweight, durable, and powerful laptops allow users to create anywhere, create faster, and create smarter.

AMD in its architecture deep-dive Q&A session with the press, confirmed that the "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" cores on the "Strix Point" silicon only feature 256-bit wide FPU data-paths, unlike the "Zen 5" cores in the "Granite Ridge" Ryzen 9000 desktop processors. "The Zen 5c used in Strix has a 256-bit data-path, and so does the Zen 5 used inside of Strix," said Mike Clark, AMD corporate fellow and chief architecture of the "Zen" CPU cores. "So there's no delta as you move back and forth [thread migration between the Zen 5 and Zen 5c complexes] in vector throughput," he added.

It doesn't seem like AMD disabled a physically available feature, but rather, the company developed a variant of both the "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" cores that physically lack the 512-bit data-paths. "And you get the area advantage to be able to scale out a little bit more," Clark continued. This suggests that the "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" cores on "Strix Point" are physically smaller than the ones on the 4 nm "Eldora" 8-core CCD that is featured in "Granite Ridge" and some of the key models of the upcoming 5th Gen EPYC "Turin" server processors.

The much-anticipated revolution in AI-powered personal computing seems to be off to a slower start than expected. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X CPUs, touted as game-changers in the AI PC market, have struggled to gain significant traction since their launch. Recent data from PassMark, a popular benchmarking software, reveals that Snapdragon X CPUs account for a mere 0.3% of submissions in the past 30 days. This is a massive contrast to the 99.7% share held by traditional x86 processors from Intel and AMD, which raises questions about the immediate future of ARM-based PCs. The underwhelming adoption comes despite bold predictions from industry leaders. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon had projected that ARM-based CPUs could capture up to 50% of the Windows PC market by 2029. Similarly, ARM's CEO anticipated a shift away from x86's long-standing dominance.

However, it turns out that these PCs are primarily bought for the battery life, not their AI capabilities. Of course, it's premature to declare Arm's Windows venture a failure. The AI PC market is still in its infancy, and upcoming mid-tier laptops featuring Snapdragon X Elite CPUs could boost adoption rates. A lot of time still needs to pass before the volume of these PCs reaches millions of units shipped by x86 makers. The true test will come with the launch of AMD's Ryzen AI 300 and Intel's Lunar Lake CPUs, providing a clearer picture of how ARM-based options compare in AI performance. As the AI PC landscape evolves, Qualcomm faces mounting pressure. NVIDIA's anticipated entry into the market and significant performance improvements in next-generation x86 processors from Intel and AMD pose a massive challenge. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether Snapdragon X CPUs can live up to their initial hype and carve out a significant place in the AI PC ecosystem.

AMD is about give the new "Zen 5" microarchitecture a near-simultaneous launch across both its client segments—desktop and mobile. The desktop front is held by the Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" Socket AM5 processors; while Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" powers the company's crucial effort to capture Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC market share. We recently did a technical deep-dive on the two. HardwareLuxx.de scored two important bits of specs for both processors in its Q&A interaction with AMD—die sizes and transistor counts.

To begin with, "Strix Point" is a monolithic silicon, which is confirmed to be built on the TSMC N4P foundry node (4 nm). This is a slight upgrade over the N4 node that the company built its previous generation "Phoenix" and "Hawk Point" processors on. The "Strix Point" silicon measures 232.5 mm² in area, which is significantly larger than the 178 mm² of "Hawk Point" and "Phoenix." The added die area comes from there being 12 CPU cores instead of 8, and 16 iGPU compute units instead of 12; and a larger NPU. There are many other factors, such as the larger 24 MB CPU L3 cache; and the sizes of the "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" cores themselves.

HP Inc. today introduced two new innovations—the world's highest performance AI PC and the first integration of a trust framework into an AI model development platform. Both announcements expand HP's efforts to make AI real for companies and people with new and transformative AI experiences across the company's PCs, software, and partner ecosystem.

HP is empowering everyone, from corporate knowledge workers to freelancers and students, to unlock the power of AI. Users can connect with anyone in the world with real time translation to 40 languages, become master presenters with their personal communication coach, and quickly create videos like a pro.

ASUS has revealed its upcoming ExpertBook P5 laptop, set to debut alongside Intel's highly anticipated "Lunar Lake" processors. This ultrabook aims to boost AI-capable laptop market, featuring an unspecified Intel Lunar Lake "Core Ultra 200V" CPU at its core. The ExpertBook P5 boasts impressive AI processing capabilities, with over 45 TOPS from its Neural Processing Unit and a combined 100+ TOPS when factoring in the CPU and GPU. The NPU provides efficient processing, with additional power coming from Lunar Lake's GPU with XMX cores, featuring the Xe2 Battlemage architecture. This is more than enough for the Copilot+ certification from Microsoft, making the laptop debut as an "AI PC." The ExpertBook P5 offers up to 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory running at 8333 MT/s, up to 3 TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage with two drives, and Wi-Fi 7 support.

The 14-inch anti-glare display features a 2.5K resolution and a smooth 144 Hz refresh rate, ensuring a premium visual experience. Despite its powerful internals, the ExpertBook P5 maintains a solid profile weighing just 1.3 kg. The laptop is housed in an all-metal military-grade aluminium body with a 180-degree lay-flat hinge, making it both portable and versatile. ASUS has also prioritized cooling efficiency with innovative technology that optimizes thermal management, whether the laptop is open or closed. Security hasn't been overlooked either, with the ExpertBook P5 featuring a robust security ecosystem, including Windows 11 secured-core PC framework, NIST-155-ready Commercial-Grade BIOS protection, and biometric login options. While an exact release date hasn't been confirmed, ASUS is preparing ExpertBook P5 and other Lunar Lake-powered laptops to hit the market in the second half of 2024.

The PC market gathered momentum in Q2 2024, with worldwide shipments of desktops and notebooks up 3.4% year-on-year, reaching 62.8 million units. Shipments of notebooks (including mobile workstations) hit 50 million units, growing 4%. Desktops (including desktop workstations), which constitute 20% of the total PC market, experienced a slight 1% growth, totaling 12.8 million units. The stage is now set for accelerated growth as the refresh cycle driven by the Windows 11 transition and AI PC adoption ramps up over the next four quarters.

"The PC industry is going from strength to strength with a third consecutive quarter of growth," said Ishan Dutt, Principal Analyst at Canalys. "The market turnaround is coinciding with exciting announcements from vendors and chipset manufacturers as their AI PC roadmaps transition from promise to reality. The quarter culminated with the launch of the first Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon processors and more clarity around Apple's AI strategy with the announcement of the Apple Intelligence suite of features for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Beyond these innovations, the market will start to benefit even more from its biggest tailwind - a ramp-up in PC demand driven by the Windows 11 refresh cycle. The vast majority of channel partners surveyed by Canalys in June indicated that Windows 10 end-of-life is likely to impact customer refresh plans most in either the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025, suggesting that shipment growth will only gather steam in upcoming quarters."

The recent launch of Copilot+ PCs, a collaboration between Microsoft and Qualcomm, has taken an unexpected turn in the market. While these devices were promoted for their artificial intelligence capabilities, a Bloomberg report reveals that consumers are primarily drawn to them for their impressive battery life. The Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PCs have made a significant impact, securing 20% of global PC sales during their launch week. However, industry analyst Avi Greengart points out that the extended battery life, not the AI features, is driving these sales. Microsoft introduced three AI-powered features exclusive to these PCs: Cocreator, Windows Studio Effects, and Live Captions with Translation. Despite these innovations, many users find these features non-essential for daily use. The delay of the anticipated Recall feature due to privacy concerns has further dampened enthusiasm for the AI aspects of these devices.

The slow reception of on-device AI capabilities extends beyond consumer preferences to the software industry. Major companies like Adobe, Salesforce, and SentinelOne declined Microsoft's request to optimize their apps for the new hardware, citing resource constraints and the limited market share of AI-capable PCs. Gregor Steward, SentinelOne's VP for AI, suggests it could take years before AI PCs are widespread enough to justify app optimization. Analysts project that by 2028, only 40% of new computers will be AI-capable. Despite these challenges, Qualcomm remains optimistic about the future of AI PCs. While the concept may currently be more on the marketing side, the introduction of Arm-based Windows laptops offers a welcome alternative to the Intel-AMD duopoly. As the technology evolves and adoption increases, on-device AI features may become more prevalent and useful. The imminent arrival of AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel Lunar Lake chips promises to expand the Copilot+ PC space further. For now, however, it appears that superior battery life remains the primary selling point for consumers.