Late last week, AMD posted a helpful reminder; a special RDNA 4 Friday (February 28) event is on the calendar. Additionally, they quietly confirmed that the upcoming launch of Radeon RX 9070 series graphics cards will not include reference/MBA models. Team Red enthusiasts and other interested parties are anticipating an official unveiling of performance data, technical specifications, and decisive pricing. Recent leaks have produced speculative figures for various board partner options, but industry whispers suggest that AMD's guide MSRP has fluctuated over the past couple of weeks. An almost definitive answer has arrived online, courtesy of another VideoCardz investigative piece.

The article does not class the latest pre-release disclosure as a true "leak," VideoCardz believes that their sharing of AMD press briefing slides serves as an intriguing teaser. The report dismisses yet another case of pre-launch retail spillage: "there are many rumors about relatively high prices for the RX 9070 series. For instance, a Reddit thread allegedly shows prices from Best Buy's internal system, with prices starting at $739 (see screenshot below)... From what we have been told and shared during the media briefing, AMD showed one slide that may confirm where the prices will be. The Radeon RX 9070 series is focusing on a sub-$700 price point, and AMD wants their cards to be 'more accessible.' AMD says that 85% of gamers buy cards below $700, and this is what the RDNA 4 series will focus on." Another leaked presentation slide indicates that Team Red is targeting higher resolutions (1440p and 4K), better performance; especially with "ray tracing games," as well as "easy upgrades." The last point emphasizes drop-in 8-pin power connector options. ASRock and Sapphire appear to be breaking away from this traditional connection mold with their upcoming premium-tier designs, but the majority of AIB cards are expected to stick with a tried and trusted solution.

ASRock has deployed beta BIOS version 3.20 today for its AM5 motherboard lineup to address persistent boot failures and burns affecting AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors. ASRock Japan refuted claims of permanent CPU damage, characterizing circulating reports as "misinformation" and identifying memory compatibility as the underlying cause rather than processor defects. The firmware patch targets a specific interaction between memory configurations and the 9800X3D's architecture that manifests as boot failures across what ASRock describes as a "minority proportion" of affected systems. A community-aggregated database on Reddit documented 40 failure incidents, with ASRock boards accounting for 32 cases. The failure pattern appears inconsistent—some systems fail immediately while others operate normally for weeks before exhibiting symptoms. BIOS flashback procedures have successfully restored functionality in multiple instances.

"The CPUs themselves are not broken. This is specifically a memory compatibility issue affecting system initialization," ASRock Japan explained via social media. Prior to releasing version 3.20, the company had recommended affected users downgrade to BIOS 3.10 as a temporary workaround. Notably, customers who RMA'd their processors and received replacements found their systems suddenly operational—suggesting the issue stems from complex firmware-hardware interactions rather than manufacturing defects. The problem appears isolated to the 9800X3D model and does not affect other processors in AMD's Ryzen 9000 series lineup. ASRock noted that the company will provide comprehensive technical documentation explaining the underlying mechanisms. AMD has yet to issue an official statement regarding the compatibility issues affecting their premium gaming processor.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor will head to retail next month—a March 12 launch day is rumored—but a handful of folks seem to have early samples in their possession. Reviewers and online influencers have been tasked with evaluating pre-launch silicon, albeit under strict conditions; i.e. no leaking. Inevitably, NDA-shredding material has seeped out—yesterday, we reported on an alleged sample's ASUS Silicon Prediction rating. Following that, a Bulgarian system integrator/hardware retailer decided to upload Cinebench R23 and PCMark Time Spy results to Facebook. Evidence of this latest leak was scrubbed at the source, but VideoCardz preserved crucial details.

The publication noticed distinguishable QR and serial codes in PCbuild.bg's social media post; so tracing activities could sniff out points of origin. As expected, the leaked benchmark data points were compared to Ryzen 9 9950X and 7950X3D scores. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D sample recorded a score of 17,324 points in 3DMark Time Spy, as well as 2279 points (single-core) and 42,423 points (multi-core) in Cinebench R23. Notebookcheck observed that the pre-launch candidate came: "out ahead of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D in both counts, even if the gaming win is less than significant. Comparing the images of the benchmark results to our in-house testing and benchmark database shows the 9950X3D beating the 7950X3D by nearly 17% in Cinebench multicore." When compared to its non-3D V-Cache equivalent, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D leverages a slight performance advantage. A blurry shot of PCbuild.bg's HWiNFO session shows the leaked processor's core clock speeds; going up to 5.7 GHz (turbo) on a single CCD (non-X3D). The X3D-equipped portion seems capable of going up to 5.54 GHz.

ASRock, a global leader in motherboards, graphics cards, mini PCs, power supplies, and gaming monitors, has observed reports on Reddit from users experiencing unexpected boot issues and error codes when using ASRock AM5 motherboards paired with minority proportion of AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. To enhance user experience, ASRock promptly released the latest 3.20 Beta BIOS for its AM5 series motherboards, further improving AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors boot issues.

Users can download and install the BIOS from the official ASRock website or use the BIOS Flashback function on their motherboard for a quick update. ASRock also promises to continue enhancing the compatibility of its products.

Last Friday, the AMD Radeon social media account sent out a friendly reminder to its audience: "it's almost time. Meet the next gen AMD Radeon RX 9000 series on February 28th at 8am ET/7am CT/5am PT." Later this week, Team Red and its board partners are expected to present the first wave of RDNA 4-based graphics cards with an in-depth/detailed presentation. TechPowerUp and other PC hardware press outlets have—so far—covered plenty of custom Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) designs, but MBA (made-by-AMD) reference models have only emerged online through official marketing channels. Previously released promotional product renders indicate that Team Red has dual and triple-fan next-gen solutions lined up, but last week's social media post implies that first-party options will not be available on day one.

A small disclaimer—stating: "artistic render: not available for purchase"—was placed below AMD's render of a triple-fan cooled reference card. VideoCardz has interpreted this stealthy disclosure; they believe that Team Red will not be releasing any Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 MBA models. Since a muted introduction at CES 2025, TechPowerUp's GPU database maintainer has adorned these entries with placeholder imagery (see example below). The lack of reference "Navi 48-based" designs could be a boon for involved AIBs. Based on historical events, VideoCardz reckons that AMD has often "prioritized" its own offerings—to the detriment of board partner shipments; insiders have allegedly complained or expressed dissatisfaction about this (past) arrangement.

AMD's internal benchmarks of its upcoming RDNA 4-based RX 9070 series graphics cards have been leaked, thanks to VideoCardz. The flagship RX 9070 XT delivers up to 42% better performance than the Radeon RX 7900 GRE at 4K resolution across a test suite of over 30 games, with the standard RX 9070 showing a 21% improvement in the same scenario. The performance data, encompassing raster and ray-traced titles at ultra settings, positions the RX 9070 series as a direct competitor to NVIDIA's RTX 4080 and RTX 5070 Ti. Notably, AMD's testing methodology focused on native rendering and ray tracing capabilities rather than upscaling technologies like FSR. The RX 9070 XT demonstrated large gains at 4K resolution, achieving a 51% performance uplift compared to the two-generations older RX 6900 XT. Meanwhile, the base RX 9070 model showed a 38% improvement over the RX 6800 XT at 4K with maximum settings enabled.

While AMD confirms its new cards are designed to compete with NVIDIA's RTX 50 series, specific comparative benchmarks against the RTX 5070 Ti were absent from the presentation. AMD acknowledges it has yet to acquire the competitor's hardware for testing. The company is expected to provide a comprehensive performance overview, potentially including additional GPU comparisons, during its official announcement on February 28. Both RX 9070 series cards will feature 16 GB of VRAM, matching the memory configuration of the RX 7900 GRE used as a primary comparison point. By the official launch date, AMD will have time to push final driver tweaks for optimal performance. Nonetheless, more information will surface as we near the official release date.

An alleged AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card has posted an overall score of 7931 points in a Furmark v2.5 OpenGL test session. Earlier today, Tomasz Gawroński shared a hastily prepared screenshot, accompanied by his observations: "I found an AMD (RDNA 4) Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU and Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU with hacked drivers. Device ID (1002-7550) matches the recently leaked Geekbench entry. There are multiple benches with 9950X3D on Furmark. Scores are impressive: 41-48% higher than Radeon 7800 XT." VideoCardz believes that the Furmark leak points to the true potential of Team Red's upcoming Navi 48-based graphics cards. Recent Geekbench results—reportedly produced by Radeon RX 9070 XT and 9070 (non-XT) pre-release samples—have indicated underwhelming performance; closer to previous-gen mid-range levels.

The "hacked" Radeon RX 9070 XT sample's Furmark tally—of 7931—places it higher than previously perceived; when compared to Team Red's middle-to-high range portfolio of RDNA 3 offerings. VideoCardz posited that the leaked candidate's score: "puts it almost at the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's level, faster than the Radeon RX 7900 XT, RX 7900 GRE, and over 50% higher than the 7800 XT. Based on rumors we heard this week, AMD is said to be claiming over ~40% higher performance at 4K (games) than the 7900 GRE, so this would be in line with these claims."

Amazon Canada has listed two new XFX Magnetic Air Edition designs, within the last day or so—as discovered by the VideoCardz overwatch. Mid-way through last week, the first signs of these premium customized AMD RDNA 4 graphics cards appeared online; courtesy of another Canadian leak. Within the same timeframe, XFX registered its "XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT QUICKSILVER Magnetic Air D6 16 GB" SKU at South Korea's National Radio Agency. Amazon.ca's two pre-order listings—likely prematurely published by accident—provide a first look at XFX's revised "Magnetic Air" modular fan system. The MERCURY Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air Black and White Editions appear to sport plenty of loud RGB lighting zones—contrasting greatly, when compared to understated sibling designs.

XFX's standard MERCURY Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air Edition seems to visually match with the manufacturer's "premium black" CES 2025 demonstration sample. TechPowerUp handled this powered-off unit at last month's trade event, alongside a "premium white" sample. Based on a leak—from two days ago—the pale candidate could be an XFX SWIFT model. Product and packaging imagery for Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) SWIFT and QUICKSILVER emerged online, allegedly sourced from Amazon South Korea. Returning to XFX's highly-anticipated top-tier Magnetic Air options; price points of CAD$1438.03 (black) and CAD$1277.51 (white) are presently displayed on Amazon Canada. VideoCardz reckons that fluctuations will occur up until release day—both third-party listings (Fennec, Inc) mention the exact same release date: March 6. Base GPU clock speed is set at 1870 GHz, while the card's boost capability takes matters up to 3100 MHz—possibly aligning with numbers generated by an unnamed test sample. An expected VRAM assignment—of 16 GB—is described by Amazon's Canuck branch. Three 8-pin power connectors are present in XFX's Magnetic Air product renders.

According to a well-known AMD hardware leaker, Hoang Anh Phu, AMD held a brief press conference where it confirmed that the upcoming Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 will carry a 304 Watt and 220 Watt total board power (TBP), respectively. While the post, originally on X is deleted, VideoCardz managed to read the information. AMD's TBP rating is similar to NVIDIA's total graphics power (TGP) metric, which measures both the chip and the memory and other components that the graphics card could contain under full load. So the TBP, and hence TGP, metrics are basically a rough outline of how much power the GPU will draw under full load.

AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 non-XT variants will consume 304 and 220 Watts, respectively, meaning that RDNA 4 IP will be relatively efficient. Interestingly, AMD settled on a 304-watt number instead of rounding it to 305, which usually happens. For reminder, the RX 9070 XT features 4,096 cores at 2.97 GHz boost clock, while the RX 9070 has 3,584 cores at 2.52 GHz. Both cards use a Navi 48 SKU, with 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus running at 20 Gbps, achieving 640 GB/s bandwidth. Both utilize PCIe 5.0×16 and are rumored to be released on March 6, following their January announcement.

GIGABYTE, a global leader in computing innovation and technology, will showcase its full-spectrum AI computing solutions that bridge development to deployment at MWC 2025, taking place from March 3-6.

"AI+" and "Enterprise-Reinvented" are two of the themes for MWC. As enterprises accelerate their digital transformation and intelligent upgrades, the transition of AI applications from experimental development to democratized commercial deployment has become a critical turning point in the industry. Continuing its "ACCEVOLUTION" initiative, GIGABYTE provides the comprehensive infrastructure products and solutions spanning cloud-based supercomputing centers to edge computing terminals, aiming to accelerate the next evolution and empower industries to scale AI applications efficiently.
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MSI is pleased to announce support for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors, built on the Zen 5 architecture and featuring AMD's cutting-edge 2nd generation AMD 3D V-Cache technology. This innovative technology is designed to significantly increases the cache size, allowing faster data access and improved performance. Engineered to deliver exceptional performance, these processors meet the demands of even the most intensive gaming and content creation workloads.

At the heart of this experience is the MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE motherboard, which sets a new standard with its innovative design and robust features. The Dynamic Dashboard III, a 3.99-inch full-color LCD, offers real-time hardware monitoring, troubleshooting, BIOS update status, clock display, and personalization options, enhancing user experience and system control. MSI's EZ Link design complements this, streamlining cable management by consolidating the front panel, fan, and RGB headers into the EZ Bridge and EZ Control Hub, ensuring a cleaner build and simplified installation process.

Press outlets have spotted two new B650M motherboard models on ASRock's product site; the B650M Pro X3D and B650M Pro X3D WiFi (6E). According to the manufacturer's descriptions, both are advertised as: "optimized for AMD Ryzen X3D processors, delivering superior stability, compatibility, and enhanced performance, making it ideal for gaming and creating." The "Pro X3D" SKUs have not launched at retail, so pricing information is not available at the time of writing. ASRock could publish a dedicated press release in the near future, but we are looking at a very quiet reveal. Curiously, the Taiwan-based motherboard and graphics card specialist has seemingly "downcycled" its fairly new B850M Pro "Race Sport" RS board design.

VideoCardz's coverage of the Pro X3D series includes a handy image comparison tool. When lined up against each other (visually), the B650M Pro X3D and B850M Pro RS designs are nigh identical. Two of the images (below) show a minor difference in printed-on model names. As expected, the ASRock website comparison tool reveals only minor disparities between respective specification sheets. The standard B850M Pro RS variant is currently on sale for $148 (normally $180). The B650M Pro X3D (non-WiFi 6E) equivalent could arrive at retail with a slightly lower price point. ASRock has signalled that its "Pro X3D" mainboard series will only be available within certain regions. According to VideoCardz, a comprehensive global rollout is not planned.

We have noticed an uptick of AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D-related leaks in mid-to-late February; suggesting an imminent launch. Officially, a Q1 release window was set by Team Red leadership during their CES 2025 presentation, and further disclosures pointed to a loose March window. Earlier today, Golden Pig Upgrade disclosed NDA-busting information—the veteran leaker believes that AMD will be lifting global Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU review embargoes on March 11. VideoCardz jumped on this unofficial announcement, and reached out to industry insiders. The anonymous contacts reported back; they allege that a March 12 retail release is on the cards.

It is believed that the 16-core and 12-core X3D-equipped "Granite Ridge" Ryzen 9 desktop chips will roll out on the same day (March 12). Coincidentally, Golden Pig Upgrade reckons that Intel's Core Ultra 200HX "Arrow Lake" mobile processor series will launch alongside Team Red's high-end gaming duo. The latter two are touted to attract the majority of press attention on day one. As pointed out by VideoCardz, the release of Radeon RX 9070 GPUs is—speculatively—scheduled a week in advance of AMD's expansion of its Ryzen 9000X3D lineup. Early last week, price points were leaked—courtesy of accidental Newegg listings: $699.99 for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and $599.99 for the 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D.

Navigating AMD's various modern processor model naming schemes is tricky business, and another layer of complexity has been added this week; with newly revealed "Strix Point" and "Krackan Point" CPUs. Three previously unannounced SKUs have appeared on AMD's Chinese website: Ryzen AI 9 H 365, Ryzen AI 7 H 350, and Ryzen AI 5 H 340. At first glance, these models codes seem to be familiar—after a double take, we see a small difference in nomenclature. The addition of a middle-placed/detached "H" has press outlets and hardware enthusiasts scratching their collective heads. After discovering Team Red's Ryzen AI 9 H 365 APU listing, Lonely City Hardware posted a humorous observation on social media: "for the Chinese market. No one can remember the full name."

Frustratingly, Western search engines (at the time of writing) just point you to the non-H equivalents. The "H" designation denotes Chinese market exclusivity; TechPowerUp has covered previous-generation examples in the recent past. When comparing technical details and specification sheets to Western equivalents, VideoCardz noted that there were no apparent differences—platform and packaging are the same (FP8). A cross-reference—of clock speeds, thermal ratings, and core architecture (Zen 5/Zen 5C)—points to spec parity across East and West variants.

Hello everyone, I'm Yonghe Wang—Creative Director at Pollard Studios, I am very excited to announce on behalf of my team and our publisher Wired Productions that Karma: The Dark World will be launching on PC, PlayStation, XBOX, and Nintendo Switch on March 27. The game will also support PS5 Pro enhancements. To celebrate, we thought we would share a breakdown of how the team is making the most of the PS5 Pro features to enhance the games visuals and performance—and to share the second in a trilogy of trailers—showcasing some of the surreal environments and characters in the game hinting at their relationship to you - the player. Please Enjoy!

What Is Karma: The Dark World?
Karma: The Dark World is a first-person cinematic psychological thriller which takes place in a cassette future alternate timeline set after World War II. In our game, a company known as Leviathan obtained unfathomable technology that allowed them to wrestle Eastern Germany under their control, installing a regime that oppresses the citizens and places productivity and obedience as gospel.

Last week, graphics card industry watchdogs alerted the wider hardware public to a registration of XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom design SKUs in South Korea. The recent leak points to an upcoming release of unannounced RDNA 4 -based SWIFT and QUICKSILVER models; XFX's official website does not list anything newer than its current Radeon RX 7000 series offerings. Based on a fresh momomo_us social media post, Amazon's South Korean branch has accidentally published product pages for Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) 16 GB SWIFT and QUICKSILVER cards. Related imagery and a single screenshot were preserved and then shared online; we are looking at very minimal black shroud and backplate designs.

TechPowerUp handled a similarly dark-tinted XFX demonstration sample at CES 2025, but the latest leaked models do not visually match with this "premium black" preview unit. The Radeon RX 9070 QUICKSILVER's backplate appears to utilize the exact same backplate design, but its shroud's aesthetic setup is more elaborate (lots of angular surfaces). The CES "premium white" sample's overall shape and profile align with the leaked SWIFT model. XFX's black and white options were listed by a Canadian e-tailer, a week ago. momomo_us's single screen capture points to alleged XFX Radeon RX 9070 SWIFT SKU clock speeds—apparently, its Amazon page was adorned with the following info points: 1400 MHz (base), 2210 MHz (game), and 2700 MHz (boost). As interpreted by VideoCardz, this is a factory-overclocked unit—PowerColor's Red Devil RX 9070 card shares the exact same clock settings.

Chuwi is a pretty decent brand of competent mini PCs which have received positive reviews. The brand's latest offering, the AuBox mini PC, combines a powerful AMD APU with an attractive design that is not only commendably compact, but also quite premium looking. The product measures 15 x 15 cm with a height of only 4.5 cm that gives it a genuinely sleek appeal, unlike other mini PCs available on the market which are going for a somewhat tall form factor ever since the M4 Mac Mini has hit the scene. At its core, the AuBox is powered by the Ryzen 7 8745HS APU with eight Zen 4 cores and sixteen threads. Apart from not having an NPU, the 8745HS is basically a slightly down clocked version of the Ryzen 7 8845HS that results in a 6-7% performance drop in synthetic benchmarks.

That said, the APU is plenty performant for the vast majority of workloads that are likely to be thrown its way, provided that they are not overly demanding GPU-wise, since the compact AuBox mini PC lacks discrete graphics, which is hardly out of the ordinary for mini PCs. The integrated RDNA 3-based Radeon 780M iGPU with 12 CUs is perfectly potent for lightweight tasks, however, and entry-level gaming with modest settings should not be much of a hassle either. The AuBox ships with 12 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, which can be upgraded to a healthy 64 GB down the road courtesy of user-accessible SODIMM slots.

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D "Zen 5" processors are due for launch next month, but an exact date has not been announced. Currently, Team Red's 3D V-Cache-equipped Ryzen 9000 CPU series is composed of a single SKU: the popular eight-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D model. A new leak points to a possible imminent lineup expansion; the sixteen-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D and twelve-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPUs have finally popped up on Geekbench Browser. Both candidates seemed to be tested on the same PC platform; utilizing a GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX motherboard and 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) of DDR5-4800 MT/s RAM. Notebookcheck

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D sample scored overall with 3363 (single-core) and 20,465 points (multi-core) in Geekbench 6.3. As expected, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D candidate's overall tallies came in slightly lower—it achieved 3274 (single-core) and 19,227 points (multi-core) overall. Press outlets were quick to compare these figures to prior generation outputs (refer to Wccftech's chart, below). On average, the incoming "Zen 5" parts surpass "Zen 4" equivalents by an average of 15%—in terms of single-core performance. Multi-core performance improvements are less significant; coming in at an average of 7%. The range-topping Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU's multi-core performance score is "lower than expected," but closer-to-launch optimizations could rectify this matter. Geekbench results often do not reflect the true potential of tested silicon; gamers tend to dismiss or completely ignore these data points. Last month, an AMD executive revealed that the two upcoming X3D Granite Ridge desktop chips: "will provide similar overall gaming performance to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D." Speculative price points—of $699 (16-core) & $599 (12-core)—leaked online last week.

It's that time again! 3DExperience World 2025 kicks off on February 23 and runs through February 26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The show is hosted by Dassault Systèmes and highlights annual advances and improvements throughout its product ecosystem. It's a great opportunity to meet the engineers, students, and industry professionals who use SolidWorks and other Dassault Systèmes applications across browsers, local workstations, and the cloud.

One of the best parts of the event for me is showcasing how advances in silicon engineering can lead to transformational products - systems that offer performance, features, and efficiency that wasn't possible before. In 2024, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processor stole the proverbial show with its excellent single-thread performance, support for multi-GPU configurations for AI training, and up to 96 cores and 2T B of memory for the largest and most demanding projects. This year, AMD has complemented these full-size tower systems with compact and mobile workstations based on the new AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO Series processors. Drop by booth #919 and see the array of systems and demos on exhibit.

EK, the premium liquid cooling manufacturer, is proud to announce the latest generation of EK-Quantum Velocity³ CPU water blocks. Offering universal compatibility for both AMD AM5 and Intel LGA 1700 / 1851 sockets, the EK-Quantum Velocity³ features a fully customizable configuration that allows you to rotate, adjust, and reposition the internal components, heat spreader, and ports - ensuring high-performance liquid cooling that's perfectly optimized for your build.

Universal Intel & AMD Platform Compatibility
The EK-Quantum Velocity³ offers a new level of compatibility with design that allows you to interchange between Intel LGA 1700 / 1851 & AMD AM5 with a few simple adjustments. When choosing your platform, simply align the jet plate alignment based on the Intel or AMD socket, reposition the cold plate and attach the LGA or AM5 mounting bracket - it's that simple. This design ensures universal compatibility, offering high performance liquid-cooling that's future proofed should you wish to change platform when upgrading your PC.

AMD's "Strix Halo" APU, marketed as Ryzen AI Max+, has just been exposed in die-shot analysis. Confirming the processor's triple-die architecture, the package showcases a total silicon footprint of 441.72 mm² that integrates advanced CPU, GPU, and AI acceleration capabilities within a single package. The processor's architecture centers on two 67.07 mm² CPU CCDs, each housing eight Zen 5 cores with a dedicated 8 MB L2 cache. A substantial 307.58 mm² I/O complements these die that houses an RDNA 3.5-based integrated GPU featuring 40 CUs and AMD's XDNA 2 NPU. The memory subsystem demonstrates a 256-bit LPDDR5X interface capable of delivering 256 GB/s bandwidth, supported by 32 MB of strategically placed Last Level Cache to optimize data throughput.

The die shots reveal notable optimizations for mobile deployment, including shortened die-to-die interfaces that reduce the interconnect distance by 2 mm compared to desktop implementations. Some through-silicon via structures are present, which suggest potential compatibility with AMD's 3D V-Cache technology, though the company has not officially confirmed plans for such implementations. The I/O die integrates comprehensive connectivity options, including PCIe 4.0 x16 lanes and USB4 support, while also housing dedicated media engines with full AV1 codec support. Initial deployments of the Strix Halo APU will commence with the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 launch on February 25, marking the beginning of what AMD anticipates will be broad adoption across premium mobile computing platforms.

Well, the wait is over and early reviews for AMD's Strix Halo APUs have finally dropped. For those who kept up with the leaks and rumors, the high-end RDNA 3.5 Radeon 8060S iGPU was repeatedly rumored to features up to 40 CUs, allowing for raw performance that keeps up with several discrete-class mobile GPUs. Now that we have concrete information, it appears that the Strix Halo iGPU does indeed trade blows with mid-range mobile GPUs, which is an undeniably impressive feat for an integrated unit. Some of the fastest x86 iGPUs - the Arc 140 V, Radeon 890M, are all left in the dust, although Apple's highest-end offerings are unsurprisingly well ahead.

Starting off with 3D Mark Time Spy, the 40-CU Radeon 8060S, housed in the 13-inch ROG Flow Z13, managed an impressive score of 10,200 points according to Notebookcheck. This puts the iGPU in close proximity to other RTX 4070-powered 14-inch gaming laptops, such as the Zephyrus G14 which managed to rake in around 10,300 points. Compared to the previous iteration of the ROG Flow Z13, which boasts a 65-watt RTX 4070, the Radeon 8060S-powered Z13 pulls ahead by around 5%. Laptops with more substantial power envelopes do race ahead significantly, such as the 140-watt RTX 4070 Laptop-powered Razer Blade 14 which managed over 13,000 points. In the Steel Nomad benchmark, however, the Radeon 8060S appears less impressive, trailing behind not only the RTX 4070 Laptop, but also systems with the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (110 W).

A leaked document has revealed an alleged review release date of March 5; occurring the day before a rumored global market release of AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards. VideoCardz has reported on its inspection of "NDA materials" intended for members of the press. Team Red has officially announced a proper RDNA 4-themed event; February 28 is an important date on their calendar. Fresh reportage suggests that hardware media outlets and online influencers will be briefed next week, mere days away from AMD's highly-anticipated presentation.

Following head-scratching delays and a secretive marketing strategy (earlier on in 2025), Team Red and its AIB co-conspirators are expected to deliver full specifications, performance data, and pricing during next week's special event. Leaks have pointed to a possible March 6 launch; VideoCardz did not spot any mentioning of this specific date in leaked Radeon RX 9070 NDA documents. A steady flow of insider knowledge has already hinted at speculative "Navi 48" technical details and pre-release performance figures. Will AMD confirm (rumored) PCIe 5.0 connectivity, or acknowledge leaked "Pro" 32 GB variants (with less sarcasm)?

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced that the 2025 ROG Flow Z13 is now available for pre-order. This versatile gaming 2-in-1 can feature up to AMD's newest AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Processor with Radeon 8060S Graphics and a unified memory structure, allowing for incredible performance and power efficiency. A new stainless steel and copper vapor chamber, larger intake vents, and 2nd Gen Arc Flow Fans offer 70% more airflow for quiet and efficient cooling.

This 13-inch tablet boasts a stunning ROG Nebula Display, a 2.5K resolution 180 Hz touchscreen with 500 nits of peak brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Flow Z13 now also features a larger 70Wh battery, a larger touchpad and keycaps, and a convenient Command Center button for quick access to vital system functions. With dual USB-C ports, both of which support USB4 and power delivery, as well as a dedicated HDMI 2.1 port, the Flow Z13 lets gamers leave their dongles at home.

Nexa AI, today, announced NexaQuants of two DeepSeek R1 Distills: The DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B and DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B. Popular quantization methods like the llama.cpp based Q4 K M allow large language models to significantly reduce their memory footprint and typically offer low perplexity loss for dense models as a tradeoff. However, even low perplexity loss can result in a reasoning capability hit for (dense or MoE) models that use Chain of Thought traces. Nexa AI has stated that NexaQuants are able to recover this reasoning capability loss (compared to the full 16-bit precision) while keeping the 4-bit quantization and all the while retaining the performance advantage. Benchmarks provided by Nexa AI can be seen below.

We can see that the Q4 K M quantized DeepSeek R1 distills score slightly less (except for the AIME24 bench on Llama 3 8b distill, which scores significantly lower) in LLM benchmarks like GPQA and AIME24 compared to their full 16-bit counter parts. Moving to a Q6 or Q8 quantization would be one way to fix this problem - but would result in the model becoming slightly slower to run and requiring more memory. Nexa AI has stated that NexaQuants use a proprietary quantization method to recover the loss while keeping the quantization at 4-bits. This means users can theoretically get the best of both worlds: accuracy and speed.