In the latest Linux Kernel patches, Intel engineers are submitting initial support for Meteor Lake processor generation, with some interesting potential features. In a patch submitted yesterday, the Intel engineer noted, "On MTL, GT can no longer allocate on LLC - only the CPU can. This, along with the addition of support for ADM/L4 cache, calls a MOCS/PAT table update." What this translates to is that starting from Meteor Lake, the integrated graphics can no longer allocate on the last-level cache (LLC), the highest numbered cache accessed by the cores before fetching from memory. Instead, only the CPU cores can allocate to it. Even more interesting is the mention of the Meteor Lake platform's level 4 (L4) cache. For the first time since Haswell and Broadwell, Intel may be planning to bring back the L4 cache and integrate it into the CPU.

Usually, modern processors use L1, L2, and L3 caches where the L1 version is the fastest and smallest, while the others are larger but slower. The inclusion of L4 caches often is unnecessary, as this type of cache can consume a big area on the processor die while bringing little benefit, translating to the cost of manufacturing drastically soaring. However, with Meteor Lake and its multi-die tile design, we wonder where the L4 cache will end up. We could see integration into the base tile, which holds the compute cores and essential compute elements. This makes the most sense since the logic needs access to fast memory, and L4 could improve the performance in specific applications.

ASUS has silently began rolling out motherboard BIOS updates for its Intel 9-series chipset motherboards, which provide hardening against "Meltdown" and "Spectre" vulnerabilities, through a CPU microcode update. Intel, if you'll recall, released microcode updates for "Haswell" and "Broadwell" processors this March, but you were at the mercy of your motherboard manufacturer to pass them on to you. The BIOS updates pack the latest version 24 microcode for 4th generation "Haswell" and 5th generation "Broadwell" processors in the LGA1150 package.

A small catch here, is that the BIOS updates are marked "beta" by ASUS, because the understanding is that all 9-series motherboards sold through 2014-15 are EOL, and have probably lapsed warranty coverage, so the company is limiting its liabilities in case BIOS updates fail, or if the platform still ends up "vulnerable" somehow. The latest version of InSpectre confirms that the latest BIOS for the Z97-A, one of the more popular motherboards by ASUS based on the Z97 Express chipset, passes hardening against Meltdown and Spectre, coupled with Windows 10 April 2018 Update. You should find the latest BIOS updates in the "Support" tab of the product page of your motherboard on ASUS website. Here's hoping other motherboard manufacturers love their customers as much.

Via updated documents on its Microcode Revision guide, Intel has revealed that they have finally developed and started deploying microcode security updates for their Broadwell and Haswell-based microprocessors. The microcode update comes after a flurry of nearly platform-specific updates that aimed to mitigate known vulnerabilities in Intel's CPUs to the exploits known as Spectre and Meltdown.

While that's good news, Intel's patching odyssey still isn't over, by any means. According to Intel's documentation, the Spectre fixes for Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge are still in beta and are being tested by hardware partners, so that's two other architectures that still remain vulnerable. Of course, this discussion of who's vulnerable and isn't really can't be reduced to which architectures Intel has released its updates to. Users have to remember that the trickle-down process from Intel's patch validation and distribution through manufacturers to end users' systems is a morose one, and is also partially in the hands of sometimes not too tech-savy users. Time will tell if these flaws will have any major impact in some users or businesses.

Intel has finally come around towards reporting on the state of the reboot issues that have been plaguing Intel systems ever since the company started rolling out patches to customers. These patches, which aimed to mitigate security vulnerabilities present in Intel's chips, ended up causing a whole slew of other problems for Intel CPU deployment managers. As a result of Intel's investigation, the company has ascertained that there were, in fact, problems with the patch implementation, and is now changing its guidelines: where before users were encouraged to apply any issued updates as soon as possible, the company now states that "OEMs, cloud service providers, system manufacturers, software vendors and end users stop deployment of current versions, as they may introduce higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behavior." A full transcription of the Intel press release follows.

Intel is reportedly delaying the roll-out of its first processors built on its 10 nanometer silicon fabrication process, codenamed "Cannon Lake" for the third time since its inception. The first products based on the silicon will now come out only by late-2018. In the meantime, Intel could continue to ride on its new 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" processors, including the augmentation of an 8-core mainstream desktop (MSDT) part in the second-half of 2018.

Notebook manufacturers are less than enthusiastic about "Cannon Lake," and plan to skip it altogether for its successor, codenamed "Ice Lake," which could come out in 2019. It won't be the first time OEMs have done this, as Intel's 5th generation Core "Broadwell" architecture was mostly skipped over in the notebook and MSDT segments.

Intel announced that its first CPU micro-architecture built on its upcoming 10 nanometer silicon fab process, the 9th generation Core "Cannon Lake," is on track. In a tweet on the official company account, Intel also announced that its second micro-architecture on the new 10 nm process, codenamed "Ice Lake," is taped out.

In the wake of a competitive CPU lineup by AMD, Intel is frantically upgrading its product lineup, beginning with the new "Basin Falls" HEDT platform early-Summer 2017, followed by its 14 nm "Coffee Lake" 8th generation Core series late-Summer. "Coffee Lake" sees the first six-core SKUs to Intel's mainstream desktop lineup, which has until now, been restricted to dual-core and quad-core parts.

Microprocessor giant Intel has launched a new page dedicated to its 3D XPoint-based Optane memory solution, a technology that it jointly developed with memory manufacturer Micron back in 2015, and was supposed to be on the market by 2016. The company missed that date; however, the technology is still interesting to enthusiasts and power users alike, due to its promises of both high speed and large capacity, a seemingly unattainable combo in today's markets.

Unfortunately, it seems that any system built around when Optane was announced will not be able to run Optane-based SSDs. In the system requirements section of its page, Intel has indicated that Optane will not run on anything earlier than a Kaby Lake based CPU. No exceptions. Yes, that includes Skylake, Broadwell, and pretty much everything else besides Kaby Lake. You will also need a 200-series chipset or newer.

Giada Technology, the industry leader in embedded systems and expert in server technology, today officially announces the N60E-O compact server for warm cloud storage applications powered by Intel Xeon-D processors which offer scalable performance on a tiny form factor.

Balancing value, performance and integration, the Giada N60E-O features an onboard Broadwell-DE based Xeon-D processor which is intended for entry-level enterprise storage applications particularly warm data storage. The Xeon D-1540 features 8-cores with 16 threads with an impressive TDP rating of 45W offering a great balance of performance and power draw making for a highly efficient setup.

Dell today announced new Virtual Reality-ready solutions that feature refined criteria for optimal VR experience, whether consuming or creating VR content. Dell has defined VR-ready solutions by three criteria:

• Minimum CPU, memory, and graphics requirements to support optimal VR viewing experiences;
• Graphics drivers that are qualified to work reliably with these solutions; and,
• Passing performance tests conducted by Dell using test criteria based on HMD (head-mounted display) suppliers, ISVs or 3rd party benchmarks where available.

Working closely with its hardware and software partners, Dell is formalizing its commitment to the future of VR by delivering solutions that are optimized for VR consumption and creation alongside ISV applications for professional customers.

According to a leaked company slide doing rounds on the web, Intel plans to launch its workstation-grade Xeon "Broadwell-EP" processors by March 31, 2016. These chips will be branded under the Xeon E5-2600 V4 series. HP is ready with a workstation based on these chips, the HP Z640, which succeeds the Z620 that's driven by "Haswell-EP" Xeon chips. Dollar-for-Dollar, Intel is positioning the "Broadwell-EP" to offer at least "20% more cores and last-level cache" than "Haswell-EP."

This would mean Intel leveraging the 14 nm process to cram 10-core chips at the price of an 8-core chip from the previous generation, 8-core chips at the price of 6-core ones, and so on. The same slide mentions that "Broadwell-EP" offers, on average, 18% more performance than "Haswell-EP." Intel is also hinting at native support for DDR4-2400 MHz. Haswell-EP supports DDR4-2133 MHz.

This week on TechPowerUp News: NVIDIA giving final touches to a new mid-range SKU, likely named the GeForce GTX 950 SE or GTX 950 LE; a 45W, 16-core "Broadwell" Intel Xeon chip, and NVIDIA "Pascal" GP100 chip crunching 4 TFLOP/s double-precision floating-point.

The latest Intel Xeon D-1571 SoC, designed for high-density data-centers and micro-servers, sets a new benchmark for energy efficiency. If the fact that it's an SoC (a combination of CPU and chipset) wasn't enough, the chip also crams in 16 CPU cores based on the "Broadwell" architecture, with HyperThreading enabling 32 logical CPUs, running at 1.30 GHz clock speed, a dual-channel DDR4 memory controller that supports up to 128 GB ECC DDR4 memory, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache; all at a TDP rated at just 45W. On most high-density server boards, such as the X10SDV-series by Supermicro (pictured below), the chip will cooled by just a small fan-heatsink. Such specs won't come cheap. Server board vendors will buy the Xeon D-1571 at $1,222 a piece in 1000-unit quantities.

With Intel's "tick-tock" product development cycle slowing down to a 3-launch cadence per silicon fab process, the company is preparing to launch no less than three micro-architectures on its next 10 nanometer silicon fab process. The first 10 nm CPU by Intel will launch in 2017.

In 2016, Intel will launch its 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processor, its third chip on the 14 nm process (after "Broadwell" and "Skylake"). The first 10 nm micro-architecture will be codenamed "Cannonlake," and will launch some time in 2017. Intel will build chips on the 10 nm for two more generations after "Cannonlake." The company's 2018 micro-architecture, built on the 10 nm will be codenamed "Icelake," and its 2019 release will be codenamed "Tigerlake." It's only 2020 that the company will pull out its next silicon fab process, 5 nm.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading creator of high performance server hardware, releases today its line of server motherboards based on the Intel Xeon processor D-1500 product family, a System-on-a-Chip platform aimed at low power and high density server applications. This new lineup includes at launch four models of Mini-ITX boards mixing different SKUs of the Xeon D-1500 processors and different networking solutions.

Based on the Broadwell microarchitecture, the Intel Xeon processor D-1500 product family features System-on-a-Chip processors based on the 14nm process. Designed for high density and scale-out server infrastructures, these processors focus on high power efficiency while maintaining datacenter grade features. Through this density and computing power, this processor family aims at lowering the total cost of ownership of server, storage and networking applications.

AMD today announced new AMD Embedded R-Series SOC processors that establish performance leadership across a targeted range of embedded application market requirements for digital signage, retail signage, medical imaging, electronic gaming, media storage and communications and networking. Designed for demanding embedded needs, the processors incorporate the newest AMD 64-bit x86 CPU core ("Excavator"), plus third-generation Graphics Core Next GPU architecture, and state-of-the-art power management for reduced energy consumption. Combined, these AMD innovations and technologies provide industry-leading graphics performance and key embedded features for next-generation designs.

The single-chip system-on-chip (SOC) architecture enables simplified, small form factor board and system designs from AMD customers and a number of third party development platform providers, while providing astounding graphics and multimedia performance, including capability for hardware-accelerated decode of 4K video playback. With a robust suite of peripheral support and interface options, high-end AMD Radeon graphics, designed for the industry's first Heterogeneous Systems Architecture (HSA) 1.0 certification, and support for the latest DDR4 memory, the new AMD R-Series SOC addresses the needs of a wide range of markets and customers.

The demand for increasingly small, but high-performance PC solutions has now been met by four versions of Shuttle's NC01U model. These 29 mm slim barebones are based on the latest Broadwell generation of Intel processors. In order to cover as many areas of application as possible, they come with a selection of soldered processors ranging from Celeron, Core i3, Core i5 to even Core i7.

Their array of connectivity options helps them stand out from the crowd of NUC form factor machines. The NC01U features a Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, Intel Gigabit Ethernet, audio, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, RS-232 and an M.2 slot. A replaceable wireless combo module for WLAN (802.11ac) and Bluetooth connectivity also comes already fitted. The case can accommodate one 2.5" drive (SSD or HDD). The two USB 3.0 ports on the front enable rapid charging of mobile devices. Each of the NC01U models can hold up to 16 GB of DDR3L SO-DIMM memory.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the successor to its award-winning Chromebook 2. Now available with a 5th Gen Intel Core i3 or Celeron processor and up to 4GB of RAM, these two new models deliver better performance for loading content-rich webpages quickly, providing brilliant video playback and effortless multitasking. Both models come with an all-new LED backlit keyboard for a more seamless experience when web browsing, watching movies, listening to music and getting work done, even in low light environments.

"As more people use Chromebooks for productivity and rely more often on the web for content creation and entertainment, devices need to be better equipped for these higher processing demands and built with hardware features that optimize Chrome OS," said Philip Osako, senior director of product marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "With the launch of our latest Chromebook 2 models, Toshiba delivers brilliant performance for an outstanding experience on and off the web with entertainment-inspired hardware features that make the most of Chrome OS and enable customers to get things done faster wherever their Chromebook 2 takes them."

MSI released a new compact-size industrial BOX PC, MS-9A69. It's a fanless embedded BOX PC that comes with the Broadwell or the BayTrail platform, satisfying different applications that require high-performance or low-power computing kernel. MS-9A69 supports 2 or 3 independent displays, versatile DC input of 12V/19V/24V, 2 Mini-PCIe expansion slots, and rich I/O of 4 LAN (w/ 2 optional), 6 USB, and 6 COM ports, offering the flexibility for machine builder and system integrators to build systems for automation, digital signage, IoT gateway, kiosk, POS, and bus or in-vehicle applications.

MS-9A69 is designed with 3.5" embedded board to support high-performance Broadwell or silent BayTrail scheme; both are designed with efficient heat-spreading housing to support fanless applications with high reliability. The system is rated to operate under a wide range of -10 to -55oC (with SSD), which fulfils most industrial scenes. Furthermore, the power input design of DC 12V/19V/24V caters to diverse application fields, such as factory automation, buses and cars.

Giada USA, a provider of Micro Servers, Mini-PCs, and embedded motherboards, announces the MG-5200SL Thin M-ini ITX motherboard for digital signage, powered with the latest 14nm sized Broadwell processors. The MG-5200SL boasts a powerful Core i5 CPU with 3MB Cache and speeds up to 2.7GHz for better performance and lower power consumption. A dedicated Nvidia GT730 GPUenables powerful graphics performance, supporting 4K Ultra HD resolution and multiple displays. With rich connectivity and JAHC technology for unmanned operation, the MG-5200SL is ready for the most demanding digital signage applications.

Rather than relying on integrated graphics solutions, the MG-5200SL uses a dedicated Geforce GT730 GPU with 384 CUDA cores for 4K Ultra HD and multi-display capability. 2GB of DDR3 dedicated VRAM ensures memory-complex signage displays run smoothly even when the CPU is busy with data processing. Based on the Intel Thin Mini-ITX standard for All-In-One(AIO) PCs, the MG-5200SL fits the same 6.7"x6.7" footprint as a standard Mini-ITX motherboard yet measures just 0.95"(24mm) tall. This slim form factor allows the MG-5200SL motherboard to not only fit into standard Mini-ITX chassis but also Thin Mini-ITX chassis for a very slim profile. Meeting Intel's AIO standard the MG-5200SL can also be used to power all-in-one PCs with high resolution displays.

Intel announced its first 6th generation Core processors, codenamed "Skylake." Built on Intel's swanky new 14 nanometer silicon fab process, and in the new LGA1151 package, these processors bring DDR4 memory to the mainstream, and offer IPC improvements over the previous-generation Core "Haswell" and "Broadwell" processors. Making its debut at Gamescom, Intel is starting its lineup off with two chips that are predominantly targeted at the DIY gaming PC crowd, the Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K quad-core processors. More models in the series will be launched towards the end of this month. The company also announced the Z170 Express chipset.

The Core i7-6700K features a nominal clock speed of 4.00 GHz, with a Turbo Boost frequency of 4.20 GHz. It features 8 MB of L3 cache, and HyperThreading. Its integrated Intel HD 530 graphics ticks at 350 MHz, with 1200 MHz Boost. The Core i5-6600K, on the other hand, features clock speeds of 3.50 GHz, with 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost. It features 6 MB of L3 cache, and lacks HyperThreading. It features the same integrated graphics solution as its bigger sibling. The TDP of both chips are rated at 91W. Both chips feature integrated memory controllers with support for DDR3L-1600 and DDR4-2133. The Core i7-6700K is priced around $350, and the i5-6600K around $243, in 1000-unit tray quantities. The retail packages of both chips will lack a stock cooling solution. The LGA1151 cooler mount will be identical to that of the outgoing LGA1150, so you shouldn't have any problems using your older cooler.

FinalWire Ltd. today announced the immediate availability of AIDA64 Extreme 5.30 software, a streamlined diagnostic and benchmarking tool for home users; the immediate availability of AIDA64 Engineer 5.30 software, a professional diagnostic and benchmarking solution for corporate IT technicians and engineers; the immediate availability of AIDA64 Business 5.30 software, an essential network management solution for small and medium scale enterprises; and the immediate availability of AIDA64 Network Audit 5.30 software, a dedicated network audit toolset to collect and manage corporate network inventories.

In parallel with the release of the new PC edition, the company's mobile app portfolio has also been extended to a new platform: besides the three big mobile ecosystems, the software is now available for Samsung's Tizen. Even though this is a lesser known mobile operating system, it is already used on more than 1 million devices, mainly in South Asia. The goal of AIDA64 developers is to make the program available on more and more desktop and mobile platforms. The success of their entry into the mobile market is illustrated by the fact that AIDA64 has been downloaded more than 250,000 times on Android, Windows Phone and iOS devices combined for the past 4 months.DOWNLOAD: AIDA64 Extreme v5.30 Installer | ZIP Package

With its 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors, Intel is throwing in everything it's got, into increasing performance of the integrated graphics. This is necessitated not by some newfound urge to compete with entry-discrete GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD, but a rather sudden increase in display resolutions, after nearly a decade of stagnation. Notebook and tablet designers are wanting to cram in higher resolution displays, such as WQHD (2560 x 1440), 4K (3840 x 2160), and beyond, and are finding it impossible to achieve them without discrete graphics. This is what Intel is likely after. The aftereffect of this effort would be that the iGPU will be finally capable of playing some games at 720p or 900p resolutions, with moderate eye-candy. Games such as League of Legends should be fairly playable, even at 1080p. Intel claims that its 9th generation integrated graphics will over a 50% performance increment over the previous generation.

Moving on to CPU, and the performance-increase is a predictable 10-20% single/multi-thread CPU performance, over "Broadwell." This is roughly similar to how "Haswell" bettered "Ivy Bridge," and how "Sandy Bridge" bettered "Lynnfield." Intel will provide platform support on some of its "Skylake-U" ultraportable variants, for much of the modern I/O used by today's tablets and notebooks, which required third-party controllers, and which competing semi-custom SoCs natively offer, such as eMMC 5.0, SDIO 3.0, SATA 6 Gb/s, PCIe gen 3.0, and USB 3.0. Communications are also improved, with 2x 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.1, and WiDi 6.0.

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore's claim that transistor counts in microprocessors can be doubled with 2 years, by means of miniaturizing silicon lithography is beginning to buckle. In its latest earnings release, CEO Brian Krzanich said that the company's recent product cycles marked a slowing down of its "tick-tock" product development from 2 years to close to 2.5 years. With the company approaching sub-10 nm scales, it's bound to stay that way.

To keep Moore's Law alive, Intel adopted a product development strategy it calls tick-tock. Think of it as a metronome that give rhythm to the company. Each "tock" marks the arrival of a new micro-architecture, and each "tick" marks its miniaturization to a smaller silicon fab process. Normally, each year is bound to see one of the two in alternation.

TechPowerUp announced GPU-Z version 0.8.4. The latest version of the popular video subsystem information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility, comes with full support for AMD Radeon R9 Fury X graphics card, and support for two other chips, namely the Radeon R7 370, and Intel "Broadwell" GT3e. The user-interface has been polished up, to include high-DPI aware visual elements, such as vendor logos. The video BIOS UEFI support indicator has been improved.

With GPU-Z 0.8.4, TechPowerUp and PowerColor bring you a new GPU-Z Giveaway! Two lucky winners stand to win a PowerColor Radeon R9 Fury X graphics card, each, by simply filling up a small form, and answering a simple question, in the "PowerColor Giveaway" tab of the main version of GPU-Z. The Radeon R9 Fury X is AMD's new flagship graphics card. Good Luck!DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.8.4 | GPU-Z 0.8.4 ASUS ROG Themed

The change-log follows.

Aorus showed off its first notebooks featuring NVIDIA G-Sync technology, the 17-inch X7 Pro-Sync, and the 15-inch X5. The X7 Pro-Sync features a 17.3-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution and G-Sync support, wired to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M SLI graphics. You also get a Core i7-4870HQ quad-core processor, 8 GB of RAM a gaming-grade keyboard with scissor-type switches, and up to three 512 GB SSDs in a RAID configuration of your choice.

The new X5 is what Aorus is claiming to be the world's most powerful 15-inch class notebook. It offers a 15.6-inch WQHD+ display (2880 x 1620 pixels resolution), wired to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M SLI graphics, with 2x 4GB video memory; a Core i7-5700HQ "Broadwell" CPU, 8 GB of RAM, up to 512 GB of M.2 32 Gb/s SSD storage, with two additional 2.5-inch SATA SSDs; and Killer DoubleShot networking. The case is surprisingly compact for its chops - measuring 390 (W) x 272 (D) x 22.9 (H) mm.