AMD today announced the global availability of its 2nd Generation Ryzen Desktop processors, starting with four models optimized for gamers, creators, and hardware enthusiasts: Ryzen 7 2700X, Ryzen 7 2700, Ryzen 5 2600X, and Ryzen 5 2600 processors. Using the world's first 12 nm process technology, these 2nd Gen Ryzen processors can offer up to 15% higher gaming performance than 1st Gen Ryzen processors, while delivering the highest multiprocessing performance you can get on a mainstream desktop PC, and enhanced capabilities including Precision Boost 2 and Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR 2), an included Wraith Cooler, unlocked performance accessed with the new Ryzen Master Utility, and more.

"Last year we started changing the PC industry with the introduction of our first wave of Ryzen processors - delivering more performance, features, and choice to our customers than before. Our 2nd Gen Ryzen CPUs continue this pursuit by raising the standards for enthusiast gamers and creators," said Jim Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Business Group, AMD. "With this launch we're also demonstrating that we are just getting started, that we are committed to delivering a multi-generational roadmap of leadership high-performance processors that will drive innovation and competition into the industry for years to come."

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is excited to announce the release of new Trident Z RGB and Sniper X series specifications launching in conjunction with the release of the AMD Ryzen 2000 series processors and the X470 platform. Kit specifications starting from DDR4-3200MHz CL16-18-18-38 16GB (2x8GB) to DDR4-3600MHz 18-22-22-42 16GB (2x8GB), these new specifications push the boundaries of AMD system performance to the next level.

Armed with the latest IMC on the new 2nd generation AMD Ryzen processors, G.SKILL aims to bring users ultra-fast high performance memory kits to help increase overall system performance with the new X470 systems. Trident Z RGB, with model numbers ending with TZRX, and Sniper X memory series now introduce several new AMD X470-specific memory specifications. Please see below for a complete list of the new specifications.

BIOSTAR adds a mini-ITX motherboard with the RACING X470GTN for the second generation AMD Ryzen processors, Pinnacle Ridge and Raven Ridge. The BIOSTAR RACING X470GTN packs powerful features in a small form factor for gamers on the move. It has a premium black RACING themed PCB design, Digital Power+, Hi-Fi zone design, integrated USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type A + C), Iron Slot Protection, and Advanced VIVID LED DJ for more RGB lighting control.

BIOSTAR RACING X470GTN
The BIOSTAR RACING X470GTN is a mini-ITX form factor motherboard with one PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot and supports two dual-channel memory of up to DDR4-3200MHz (OC). The RACING X470GTN has a 7-digital power phase design to harness the power of the new Ryzen 7 2700X 8-core, 16-thread processor. The motherboard also packs 4x SATA III ports, 1x M.2 32Gb/s port and integrated USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type A and C).

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performanceDRAM modules and NAND Flash products, announces its next generation XPG SPECTRIX D41 DDR4 RGB memory module. The memory module brings together a new refreshing aesthetic design, striking speeds and stunning programmable RGB lighting to offer avid gamers a worthy upgrade for their setups. What's more, the XPG SPECTRIX D41 supports Intel X299 2666 MHz and AMD AM4/Ryzen platforms and comes in two color options - Crimson Red and Titanium Gray.

Inspired by armor, the SPECTRIX D41's medal heatsink features a bold silhouette to symbolize its impressive performance. On top is a fully exposed RGB LED light strip that glows unhindered, letting the colors and lighting effects of the user's choosing shine through. Users can enhance their gaming experiences with programmable lighting effects to set up patterns, pulse speed, lighting intensity and more. This can all be controlled with the ADATA RGB Sync app or an existing RGB light control software from a major motherboard maker.

In a blog post on its gaming website, AMD has decided to put on the white gloves for a distinctive strike against NVIDIA's GPP initiative, which has seen rivers of ink and public discussion already. In the blog post, entitled "Radeon RX Graphics: A Gamer's Choice", the company is clearly putting its footing on the same stance it always finds itself positioned to by NVIDIA: the freedom of choice, and freedom of standards side of the equation.

The blog post entirely reads as an anti environment-lock manifesto, extorting the virtues of PC gaming and the open-ended building and assembly of parts from various manufacturers that it's built upon. As a move against NVIDIA's decision to enforce their GPP initiative to lock-in AIB partners towards having an NVIDIA-exclusive brand, AMD has come out of the gates saying that the simple solution is for partners to announce new, AMD-exclusive brands as well. This is logical; was to be expected; and is really AMD's only move out of this forced hand it was dealt with.

ASUS today announced AREZ, a new brand identity for ASUS Radeon RX graphics cards. Derived from Ares, the Greek god of war, AREZ-branded graphics cards are built using industry-leading automated manufacturing to provide AMD gamers and enthusiasts with superior cooling technology and a robust software ecosystem. The new AREZ brand underlines the strong working partnership between ASUS and AMD that spans decades. Gamers and enthusiasts will enjoy a combination of exclusive ASUS innovations and technologies and AMD's Radeon graphics processors and software.

"Gamers around the world rally behind AMD Radeon because of what the Radeon name stands for: a dedication to open innovation such as our contributions to the DirectX and Vulkan APIs, a commitment to true transparency through industry standards like Radeon FreeSync technology, and a desire to expand the PC gaming ecosystem by enabling developers to take advantage of all graphics hardware, including AMD Radeon graphics. We invite gamers everywhere who believe in these values and the value of the exceptional gaming experience Radeon graphics delivers to join the Red team," said Scott Herkelman, Vice President and General Manager, AMD Radeon Technologies Group.

Despite not wanting to do away with Intel's dominance in its portfolio anytime soon, Dell is obviously looking to better round up its product lineup with some red team-powered goodies. Case in point: the 2-in-1 convertible Dell Inspiron 13 7000, which makes use of AMD's latest Ryzen mobile APUs to deliver a strong computing performance, whilst also emphasizing content consumption. There's an option for all budgets (starting from $700 for the base version and up to $1019 for the top-tier one), and the CPU choices are naturally based around either AMD's Ryzen 5 2500U with a Radeon Vega 8 iGPU, or the more powerful Ryzen 7 2700U with a Radeon Vega 10 iGPU (both 4 core, 8-thread CPUs, but with 512 and 640 Vega Stream processors, respectively).

PC enthusiast "TSAIK" with access to AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 2600X chips put them through rigorous overclocking to achieve speeds as high as 5.88 GHz on both, with all cores enabled, demonstrating the improved overclocking headroom AMD achieved by switching to the newer 12 nm process. The 2700X achieved 5884 MHz with a 58.25X multiplier on a 101.02 MHz base clock, and a scorching 1.76V core voltage. The 2600X, on the other hand, reached 5882 MHz riding on the same 58.25X multiplier with 101 MHz base clock, and a slightly higher 1.768V. Both chips have all their cores and SMT enabled. The 2700X was overclocked on the MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC, while an MSI X470 Gaming Plus powered the 2600X overclock. A single 8 GB G.Skill Trident-Z DDR4 module was used on both feats. As expected, a liquid nitrogen evaporator was used on both chips.

Thermalright today introduced a pair of high-end CPU air coolers specially designed for AMD socket AM4 processors, the ARO-M14. Available in two variants, the ARO-M14G with a grey top-plate, and the ARO-M14O, with a "Ryzen Orange" top-plate, the two coolers are heavily based on the company's HR-02 Macho Rev B cooler, but feature socket AM4 retention modules (support no other socket), an embossed Ryzen logo on the top-plate, and come with pre-applied thermal paste. A 2 g Chill Factor syringe is included for future top-ups.

The ARO-M14 features a large aluminium fin-stack that propagates at an offset from the base, for additional memory area clearance. Unlike the Macho Direct, it features a nickel-plated copper base through which six 6 mm-thick heat-pipes pass, indirectly drawing heat. The aluminium fin-stack is capped off by a die-cast metal plate. An included TY-147 A 140 mm fan, spinning between 300 - 1,300 RPM, pushes air through the heatsink at 28.7 - 125 m³/h, with a noise output of 15 - 21 dB(A). Thermalright claims the cooler can handle TDP of up to 240W. The company didn't reveal pricing.

BIOSTAR unveils RACING X470GT8, a full ATX motherboard with the AMD X470 chipset for the second generation AMD Ryzen processors, Pinnacle Ridge and Raven Ridge. The BIOSTAR RACING X470GT8 offers performance and aesthetics for today's overclockers and gamers. It has a premium black RACING themed PCB design, Digital Power+, Hi-Fi zone design, integrated USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type A + C), Iron Slot Protection, and Advanced VIVID LED DJ for more RGB lighting control.

The BIOSTAR RACING X470GT8 motherboard is the flagship model for the 2nd generation Ryzen processors featuring the new AMD X470 enthusiast chipset. It features an ATX form factor with three PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots and supports two dual-channel memory up to DDR4-3200MHz (OC). The RACING X470GT8 has a 12-digital power phase design to harness the power of the new Ryzen 7 2700X 8-core, 16-thread processor. The motherboard also packs 6x SATA III ports, 1x M.2 32Gb/s port with the BIOSTAR M.2 Cooling heatsink and integrated USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type A and C).

Since its release last year, AMD's Ryzen platform reinvigorated the desktop with multithreaded horsepower plus accessible overclocking and gaming prowess. That first wave was a market revelation that touched everything from value-packed PCs to high-end gaming and content creation rigs. And now ASUS is ready for the second wave with a fresh family of motherboards based on the new AMD X470 chipset. The X470 chipset is designed to enhance the performance of the next generation AMD Ryzen 2000 series of processors code named Pinnacle Ridge and yet retains backward compatibility with current Ryzen processors.

The new X470 Series spans six motherboards, each with a unique spirit. The ROG Crosshair VII Hero and its WiFi twin lead the lineup with a stealthy design for serious overclockers, savvy enthusiasts and gamers. Its Strix X470-F Gaming sibling makes ROG enhancements like easy tuning and next-level customization more affordable, while the Strix X470-I Gaming shrinks everything down to mini-ITX proportions for powerhouse small-form-factor systems.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, is releasing the new AORUS X470 Gaming motherboards based on the AMD X470 Chipset. This launch follows the announcement of 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Processors and the motherboards themselves represent the pinnacle of performance on this new AMD platform by means of an updated power design with up to 10+2 power phases, future-proof connectivity with USB Type-C as well as improved Audio and Wi-Fi capabilities. All this is concealed by a new overall motherboard design that better showcases the dominant ascension of the AORUS eagle.

The first AORUS X470 motherboards on the market are the X470 AORUS GAMING 7 WIFI, the AORUS GAMING 5 WIFI and the AORUS ULTRA GAMING. This selection of boards covers a wide spectrum of price points and features while providing all the performance and novelties of the new chipset, including the Gen3 PCIe lanes enabling support for 2-Way CrossFire/SLI configurations.

MSI, the world-leading gaming motherboard brand, is pleased to announce the AMD X470 GAMING motherboards with the launch of AMD Ryzen 2nd generation desktop processors. Based on the new AM4 platform, MSI is going to provide our most iconic motherboards for enthusiastic gamers. X470 GAMING M7 AC will be on the top, together with our stylish X470 GAMING PRO CARBON AC and two mainstream gaming motherboards, X470 GAMING PLUS and X470 GAMING PRO. There's definitely a motherboard for every type of gamer.

In order to support the newest CPUs and conquer the temperatures that come with high performance, MSI X470 motherboards are built with even more premium power phases for enhanced cooling. With up to 15 premium power phases and digital power design, MSI GAMING motherboards provide ultimate performance for gamers.

Ahead of its 19th April formal launch, AMD opened up pre-orders to its 2nd generation Ryzen "Pinnacle Ridge" processors, and compatible motherboards based on AMD X470 chipset. AMD is launching this series with four SKUs, the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 7 2700 eight-core chips, and Ryzen 5 2600X and Ryzen 5 2600 six-core chips. The pricing of the four is surprisingly lower than expected. The top-dog 2700X has an SEP price of just USD $329, while the 2700 (non-X) goes for $299. The six-core parts aren't too far behind. The Ryzen 5 2600X has an SEP price of $229, and the Ryzen 5 2600 is $199. Pricing of the chips in the EU is along expected lines. The Ryzen 7 2700X is priced at 319€, followed by the Ryzen 7 2700 at 289€, Ryzen 5 2600X at 225€, and the Ryzen 5 2600 at 195€.

Based on the new 12 nm "Pinnacle Ridge" silicon, the Ryzen 7 2700X comes with higher clock speeds than the previous-generation flagship 1800X, with 3.70 GHz core, 4.30 GHz boost, and XFR boosting frequency beyond the max boost frequency. You get 8 CPU cores, and SMT enabling 16 logical CPUs, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The 2700 is clocked at 3.20 GHz, with 4.10 GHz boost. The 2600X and the 2600 are 6-core/12-thread parts, with the full 16 MB L3 cache available on-die. The 2600X is clocked at 3.60 GHz with 4.20 GHz boost and XFR; while the 2600 is clocked at 3.40 GHz, with 3.90 GHz boost. All four models include stock cooling solutions, including the 2700X and the 2600X. Availability in brick and mortar stores will commence on the 19th, it's also the day the first pre-ordered chips will start getting delivered.

The leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, is pleased to announce the launch of the its new AMD X470 motherboard series with ASRock's new high end product line, the Taichi Ultimate. These motherboards, the latest in the company's growing series of products for AMD processors, feature the powerful X470 chipset. The ASRock X470 motherboards keep pace with AMD's newest next generation Ryzen CPUs, with a special focus on giving users the best possible performance from the latest Pinnacle Ridge CPUs.

ASRock is leading its AMD X470 chipset based motherboard lineup with the X470 Taichi Ultimate and the X470 Taichi. Here are pictures of its mid-range lineup based on the chipset, the Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 and the X470 Master SLI. Both models are based on the same exact PCB, with variations on product design and certain features that place the Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 a notch above the X470 Master SLI. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, an 8-pin EPS, and interestingly, an additional 4-pin ATX power connector, which is usually found in high-end AM4 motherboards. A 12-phase VRM is used to condition power for the AM4 SoC.

The AM4 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of memory; two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC or x8/x8), and one of the two M.2 PCIe slots. Storage connectivity includes two M.2 PCIe slots, the topmost slot is 32 Gbps, and M.2-22110, while the bottom slot is 16 Gbps; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. USB connectivity includes ten USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel, four by headers), and two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports (including one type-C port), on the rear panel. 8-channel onboard audio with a mid-range CODEC, and gigabit Ethernet with an Intel i219-V controller, make for the rest of the two. The Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 is slightly better endowed than the X470 Master SLI, in featuring a slightly more upscale onboard audio solution (probably ALC1220 vs. ALC892), Creative SoundBlaster Cinema DSP, RGB LEDs in even the rear I/O shroud, and Fatal1ty Mouse Port (specialized USB port with supposedly lower latency). The two could be priced under $150.

ASRock's Phantom series of graphics cards have been rumored and officially launched for a while now, but actual availability thresholds have been elusive. Now, a hard date has come out of the woodwork: ASRoc's first foray into the graphics card market with materialize with custom designs of AMD's RX 580 and RX 570 graphics cards on April 19th.

The Phantom series of graphics cards are ASRock's own takes on AMD's Polaris silicon. The graphics cards will apparently ship with three distinct operating modes: a "Silent" mode, an "OC" mode, and standard clocks. The Phantom Gaming X Radeon RX 580 8 G will ship with 1,324 MHz clocks on silent mode; 1,435 MHz on OC mode; and 1380 MHz in the standard mode. The second card to be on offer on April 19th will be the Phantom Gaming X Radeon RX 570 8G, with clocks at 1,228 MHz on silent mode; 1,331 MHz on OC mode; and 1380 MHz in the standard mode. Connectivity options for both graphics cards is set at 3x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, and 1x DVI ports. No pricing information is available at time of writing.

GIGABYTE, an industry leader in competitive, high performance server motherboards and systems, has refreshed its AMD EPYC 1U and 2U server line-up with a range updated options supporting different storage device combinations, with increased NVMe connectivity to integrate more dense, high bandwidth storage. These five systems are part of GIGABYTE's ready-to-integrate general purpose Rack Server family, equipped with the best power supplies and cooling fans and combining a high level of performance, energy efficiency and overall reliability for web hosting, mass storage, virtualized infrastructures, databases & analytics and other demanding applications.

GIGABYTE's AMD EPYC server systems are based on the 7000 series EPYC processor, offered as a SoC and incorporating a multi-die design with 32 cores per processor, 128 PCIe lanes and 8 channels of DDR4 memory. These features have allowed GIGABYTE to create a range of servers that pack a real punch in flexibility and expansion options. First released in July last year, adoption of GIGABYTE's AMD EPYC servers has been gaining momentum, lowering TCO for datacenters by offering an optional balance of compute, memory, I/O and security.

GIGABYTE's upcoming flagship socket AM4 motherboard, the X470 Aorus Gaming 7, eclipsed two other models by the company based on the AMD X470 chipset, the X470 Aorus Gaming 5 /WiFi, and the X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming, pictured below. The X470 Aorus Gaming 5 has two variants based on the inclusion of a WLAN module. Both boards are based on the same PCB design, but the Gaming 5 is slightly better endowed than the Ultra Gaming. First, the common features. Drawing power from a 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connector, the board features a 11-phase VRM to condition power for the AM4 SoC. A single-phase VRM powers the memory.

Expansion slots include three PCI-Express x16, from which the top two are gen 3.0 and wired to the SoC (x16/NC or x8/x8), while the third slot is gen 2.0 and wired to the X470 chipset. Two gen 2.0 x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion. Storage connectivity includes two M.2 slots, from which the top slot is 32 Gbps, and the bottom one 16 Gbps; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports, from which two come directly from the AM4 SoC. USB connectivity includes eight USB 3.0 ports, and two USB 3.1 ports, from which one is type-C. Gigabit Ethernet powered by Intel i219-V controller, and high-grade onboard audio with Realtek ALC1220 (120 dBA SNR) CODEC, WIMA capacitors, ground-layer isolation, and dual headphones amps, make for the rest of them.

AMD today has officially released specs and the listing of graphics cards that are being rebranded to the OEM-only RX 500X series. For all the rumors and speculation that abounded around a super-charged, maybe even Vega-sprinkled new Polaris architecture from AMD has seen their dreams of interesting times squelched unceremoniously.

What were before expected reports have now been rendered true: these are nothing more than an OEM-specific rebrand of AMD's RX 500 graphics cards. They're just direct rebadges - not a single MHz was increased across the entire portfolio, except for one lonely graphics card: the RX 550X has apparently seen a bump in clockspeeds, from the RX 550's "up to 1183 MHz" to the RX 550X's "up to 1287 MHz). Aside from that, folks, move along: there's nothing to see here.

After Raja Koduri left AMD in a low-profile-turned-high-profile leave of absence, ending up as head for rival Intel's newly formed Core and Visual Computing Group, now it's time for another high-level player to leave the company. AMD's Chris Hook has been in the company for almost two decades, rising from the bottom up towards the enviable position (at times) to lead the entire AMD's Radeon Technologies' Group Marketing Department since October 2017.

In a Facebook post detailing his departure, Hook joked that when he first joined the company, "ATI still had a smoking room, there was only one TV in the office (a small 14" black and white version we crowded into a room to watch 9/11 on), transistor size was still measured in microns, and 320x240 was considered 'high res'." Chris Hook has led (or been in the next closest position) as the public-facing effort of ATI/AMD-RTG and AMD core marketing team for a while now, so him leaving the company at a time where the global GPU marketshare is better than it ever has been in years does give some food for thought. Some publications are speculating on a move from AMD to Intel, similar to Raja Koduri's, citing close relationships between both men and the need for Intel to eventually market some products originating from their Core and Visual Computing Group (maybe with Arctic Sound?)

Semiconductor manufacturers have been historically bullish when it comes to the introduction of new manufacturing technologies. Intel, AMD (and then Globalfoundries), TSMC, all are companies who thrive in investors' confidence: they want to paint the prettiest picture they can in terms of advancements and research leadership, because that's what attracts investment, and increased share value, and thus, increased funds to actually reach those optimistic goals.

However, we've seen in recent years how mighty Intel itself has fallen prey to unforeseen complications when it comes to advancements of its manufacturing processes, which saw us go from a "tick-tock" cadence of new architecture - new manufacturing process, to the introduction of 14 nm ++ processes. And as Intel, Globalfoundries and TSMC race towards sub 7-nm manufacturing processes with 250 mm wafers and EUV usage, things aren't getting as rosy as the ultraviolet moniker would make us believe.

HP Inc. today introduced HP Pavilion Gaming, a new lineup of notebooks, desktops and displays designed to meet the needs of mainstream gamers. The HP Pavilion Gaming lineup provides the ultimate combination of powerful gaming experiences, value and versatility for everyday use. Gaming is one of the fastest growing PC segments, with more than 1 billion gamers worldwide. Mainstream gamers represent 62 percent of this growing market. While HP's OMEN line is built for performance and enthusiasts gamers, the new HP Pavilion Portfolio is designed to meet the diverse needs of more casual users, who often want a single device to meet all their PC needs.

"By listening to gamers and understanding their needs, HP is building an industry-leading gaming ecosystem that appeals to all segments of the market, "said Kevin Frost, vice president and general manager of consumer personal systems, HP Inc. "With HP Pavilion Gaming, casual gamers get the best of both worlds - powerful game play on a boldly designed device that's versatile enough to meet their everyday PC needs."

HP, Inc. today introduced its next generation Pavilion portfolio, infusing premium features and expressive designs into its convertible, notebook and desktop PCs. The latest Pavilion lineup includes refined materials and finishes, thin bezels, and stepped-up performance options that enhance the customer experience. It will debut this weekend at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where festival-goers will use the power of Pavilion to create unique experiences at the intersection of art and music.

"Pavilion excels at delivering amazing customer experiences at exceptional value. Our new lineup, featuring the sleekest, thinnest and most powerful Pavilion devices ever designed, raises the bar and inspires new ways to create, connect and share," said Kevin Frost vice president and general manager of consumer personal systems, HP Inc. "Coachella is synonymous with creative expression and amazing experiences, making it the perfect venue to launch our new Pavilion line and enhance the event though technology."

AMD today announced, via a security blog post penned by their own Mark Papermaster, that they're beginning deployment of mitigations and resources for AMD processors affected by the Spectre exploits. In the blog post, AMD reiterates how exploits based on version 1 of Spectre exploits (GPZ 1 - Google Project Zero Flaw 1) have already been covered by AMD's partners. At the same time, AMD reiterates how their processors are invulnerable to Meltdown exploits (GPZ3), and explains how mitigations for GPZ2 (Spectre) will occur.

These mitigations require a combination of processor microcode updates from OEM and motherboard partners, as well as running the current and fully up-to-date version of Windows. For Linux users, AMD-recommended mitigations for GPZ Variant 2 were made available to Linux partners and have been released to distribution earlier this year.