The refreshed Mac Studio is here, and it appears that Mark Gurman's reports were accurate once again. The system was updated with the M4 Max and the M3 Ultra SoCs - and once again, that is not a typo. For whatever reason, Apple refused to fit the Mac Studio with an M4-flavored Ultra SoC, instead settling for an undeniably confusing product lineup. The M4 Max, with up to 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores, will undoubtedly have the upper hand in single-core performance by as much as 30%, whereas the M3 Ultra will have superior multithreaded and GPU performance, courtesy of its 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. Moreover, the price gap between the base M3 Ultra and M4 Max SKUs will remain the same, despite the former being based on an older generation.

However, the M3 Ultra will allow the system to be configured with up to a whopping 512 GB of unified memory, with memory bandwidth of 819 GB/s. While that number is not particularly mind-bending for a workstation-class system, the fact that the M3 Ultra's 80-core GPU will have access to over half a terabyte of fast-enough memory is a game changer for select few ultra-high-end workloads. Of course, this amount of VRAM is not intended for the average Joe, but the Ultra SoCs were always meant to be a halo product. The M3 Ultra variant can also be equipped with up to 16 TB of storage - at Apple's ridiculous pricing, of course. Needless to say, Apple's performance claims are as vague as always, and interested customers will have to wait for independent reviews and benchmarks to make sense of Apple's confusing SoC strategy with the new Mac Studio.

Damo Academy—a research and development wing of Alibaba—launched its debut "server-grade processor" design late last week, in Beijing. According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) news article, the C930 model is a brand-new addition to the e-commerce platform's XuanTie RISC-V CPU series. Company representatives stated that their latest product is designed as a server-level and high-performance computing (HPC) solution. Going back to March 2024, TechPowerUp and other Western hardware news outlets picked up on Alibaba's teasing of the Xuantie C930 SoC, and a related Xuantie 907 matrix processing unit. Fast-forward to the present day; Damo Academy has disclosed that initial shipments—of finalized C930 units—will be sent out to customers this month.

The newly released open-source RISC-V architecture-based HPC chip is an unknown quantity in terms of technical specifications. Damo Academy reps did not provide any detailed information during last Friday's conference (February 28). SCMP's report noted the R&D division's emphasizing of "its role in advancing RISC-V adoption" within various high-end fields. Apparently, the XuanTie engineering team has: "supported the implementation of more than thirty percent of RISC-V high-performance processors." Upcoming additions will arrive in the form of the C908X for AI acceleration, R908A for automotive processing solutions, and an XL200 model for high-speed interconnection. These XuanTie projects are reportedly still deep in development.

The "Medusa" or "Medusa Point" codename started to appear online over the past couple of months. These mysterious AMD projects were linked to next-generation "Zen 6" Ryzen desktop and mobile processor families (respectively). Initially, insiders reckoned that Team Red had selected an RDNA 4-based graphics solution for integration their futuristic new-gen laptop APU design. Two days ago, Golden Pig Upgrade weighed in with a different theory—the veteran leaker believes that provisions have regressed on the "Medusa Point" iGPU front.

Previous reports have suggested that the "Medusa Point" processor's iGPU aspect will utilize up to 16 compute units (CU), based on a theorized count of eight workgroup processors (WGPs) from leaked imagery. The latest insider tip points to the utilization of a non-specific "RDNA 3.x" branch, instead of conjectured RDNA 4 graphics technology. Industry watchdogs hold the belief that AMD will be sticking with RDNA 3.5 for a while—as featured on their current-gen "Zen 5" mobile-oriented Strix Point, Strix Halo and Krackan Point chips. As pointed out by Notebookcheck, Team Red leadership disclosed that RDNA 4 is exclusive to discrete card families (for the time being). RDNA 3.5-equipped APUs have—so far—received a warm welcome; AMD engineers could be reserving development resources for a distant future project.

PassMark Software has identified the root cause behind unexpectedly low compute performance in NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs. The culprit: NVIDIA has silently discontinued support for 32-bit OpenCL and CUDA in its "Blackwell" architecture, causing compatibility issues with existing benchmarking tools and applications. The issue manifested when PassMark's DirectCompute benchmark returned the error code "CL_OUT_OF_RESOURCES (-5)" on RTX 5000 series cards. After investigation, developers confirmed that while the benchmark's primary application has been 64-bit for years, several compute sub-benchmarks still utilize 32-bit code that previously functioned correctly on RTX 4000 and earlier GPUs. This architectural change wasn't clearly documented by NVIDIA, whose developer website continues to display 32-bit code samples and documentation despite the removal of actual support.

The impact extends beyond benchmarking software. Applications built on legacy CUDA infrastructure, including technologies like PhysX, will experience significant performance degradation as computational tasks fall back to CPU processing rather than utilizing the GPU's parallel architecture. While this fallback mechanism allows older applications to run on the RTX 40 series and prior hardware, the RTX 5000 series handles these tasks exclusively through the CPU, resulting in substantially lower performance. PassMark is currently working to port the affected OpenCL code to 64-bit, allowing proper testing of the new GPUs' compute capabilities. However, they warn that many existing applications containing 32-bit OpenCL components may never function properly on RTX 5000 series cards without source code modifications. The benchmark developer also notes this change doesn't fully explain poor DirectX9 performance, suggesting additional architectural changes may affect legacy rendering pathways. PassMark updated its software today, but legacy benchmarks could still suffer. Below is an older benchmark run without the latest PassMark V11.1 build 1004 patches, showing just how much the newest generations suffers without a proper software support.

According to import-export database records obtained by WinFuture, we are informed that Qualcomm is testing an 18-core Snapdragon X2 Elite processor designated SC8480XP, representing a 50% increase in core count over the current 12-core Snapdragon X Elite. The silicon, developed under the "Project Glymur" codename, incorporates Oryon V3 architecture in what documentation describes as a "high-TDP" implementation exceeding the current generation's 80 W thermal envelope. Test platforms pair the processor with 48 GB of SK Hynix RAM and 1 TB NVMe storage. Reference documentation suggests integration as a system-in-package (SiP), potentially offering CPU and memory in a unified package, much like Intel's Lunar Lake and Apple M-series processors. Thermal management testing includes configurations with 120 mm AIO cooling solutions typical in desktop applications, though form factor targets remain unspecified.

Whether homogeneous high-performance cores or heterogeneous clusters, core architecture details remain undisclosed. Market positioning appears focused on high-TDP environments, suggesting that this new wave of Arm-based Windows processors plans to fight more aggressively in the AI PC space, which will see even NVIDIA join it in the coming months. Internal documentation potentially references "Snapdragon X2 Ultra Premium" branding, though the final nomenclature remains unconfirmed. Volume availability is not expected until 2026, allowing time for platform optimization and validation. Qualcomm has gathered feedback from its Snapdragon X Elite initial launch and working to improve performance and app compatibility for Windows-on-Arm platforms.

Arm's new Cortex-A320 represents its first ultra-efficient CPU using the advanced Armv9 architecture dedicated to the needs of IoT and AI applications. The processor achieves over 50% higher efficiency compared to the Cortex-A520 through several microarchitecture optimizations, together with a narrow fetch and decode data path, densely banked L1 caches, and a reduced-port integer register file. It also delivers 30% improved scalar performance compared with its predecessor, the Cortex-A35, via efficient branch predictors, pre-fetchers, and memory system improvements.

The Cortex-A320 is a single-issue, in-order CPU with a 32-bit instruction fetch and 8-stage pipeline. The processor offers scalability by supporting single-core to quad-core configurations. It features DSU-120T, a streamlined DynamIQ Shared Unit (DSU) which enables Cortex-A320-only clusters. Cortex-A320 supports up to 64 KB L1 caches and up to 512 KB L2, with a 256-bit AMBA5 AXI interface to external memory. The L2 cache and the L2 TLB can be shared between the Cortex-A320 CPUs. The vector processing unit, which implements the NEON and SVE2 SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) technologies, can be either private in a single core complex or shared between cores in dual-core or quad-core implementations.

AheadComputing today announced it has secured $21.5M in seed funding to rapidly develop and commercialize its breakthrough microprocessor architecture designed to meet the new, unique computing demands across AI, cloud, and edge devices. The funding was led by Eclipse, with participation from Maverick Capital, Fundomo, EPIQ Capital Group, LLC, and legendary CPU architect and current Tenstorrent CEO Jim Keller, who developed cutting-edge semiconductors for Apple, AMD, Tesla, and Intel.

Today, general-purpose computing faces unprecedented challenges due to the rapid expansion of AI and machine learning workloads. A recent report found that 82% of organizations experienced performance issues with their AI workloads over the past year, primarily due to bandwidth shortages and data processing limitations. While specialized accelerators dominate headlines, they rely heavily on general-purpose processors for critical tasks before, after, and in-between AI operations. Existing architectures have struggled to keep pace with the demands of these emerging workloads, creating a bottleneck in compute performance that impacts industries ranging from cloud to edge computing. AheadComputing addresses this critical gap by providing innovative solutions designed to transform how general-purpose computing meets modern demands.

Thermal Grizzly introduces the TG Delidded CPU series with delidded processors and assumes the manufacturer's warranty. As a provider of delidding tools and products for delidded processors, Thermal Grizzly is a well-known name among hardware enthusiasts and overclockers. With the TG Delidded CPU, even beginners now have a gateway into the world of maximum cooling performance.

With the TG Delidded CPU, Thermal Grizzly offers PC enthusiasts and gamers the ability to use direct-die cooling solutions—without the risk of delidding the CPU themselves. Delidding, or removing the heat spreader, allows coolers to be mounted directly where heat is generated: on the chips/chiplets of the CPU. However, since CPU dies are highly susceptible to damage, direct-die cooling solutions such as the Mycro Direct-Die water coolers or High Performance Heatspreaders should be used.

Framework has finally introduced its next-generation Framework Laptop 13, now powered by the extremely potent Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" APUs. The product is already available for pre-order on Framework's website, with prices starting from $899 for the Do-It-Yourself variant, and $1,099 for the fully assembled variant. From the outside, the design of the product has been left mostly unchanged, which may appear somewhat disappointing at first, although an unaltered design likely indicates compatibility of components between the two laptops, which is undoubtedly one of the primary selling points for the Framework Laptop.

As mentioned, the biggest upgrade that the new Framework Laptop brings to the table is the new selection of processors, with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU sitting at the highest-end. Unsurprisingly, the Strix Point APUs allow for excellent performance improvements to both CPU and GPU side of things. With 12 cores (4 Zen 5 + 8 Zen 5c) and 24 threads, the highest-end Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU performs admirably well in benchmarks as well as real-life workloads. The Radeon 890M iGPU is among the fastest available on the market, trading blows with the Arc 140T iGPU in synthetic benchmarks. Of course, the 50 TOPS NPU allows for CoPilot functionality, for those who care. The Windows variant ships with a dedicated CoPilot key as well, while the DIY variant does not.

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.

Earlier today, three of Intel's South Korean authorized distributors announced the introduction of Raptor Lake-R-based "Value Pack Genuine" buying options—Danawa's news section stated that the involved companies are: PC Direct, Coit, and Intec & Company. The newly revealed "reasonably priced" packages will contain 14th Generation Core i5-14600KF or i5-14400F processors. A photo preview (see below) showcases very plain blue retail boxes (with no logo), adorned with information-carrying stickers. The freshly unveiled "Value Pack (genuine product)" designs are region exclusive (for the moment); seemingly slotting somewhere in-between Intel's traditional "Boxed" retail and barebones "Tray" processor offerings.

According to the Danawa report, one of the local distributors stated: "this is a very meaningful moment as it is the first time that an official Intel value pack has been released in Korea. We are pleased to offer a more reasonable price while maintaining the same warranty period and standards as existing genuine products. We hope that this release will allow more consumers to upgrade their PCs without burden." Western news sites have highlighted the Core i5 14600KF Value Pack's cheapest available price point (identified via the Danawa comparison engine); KRW 284,540 (~$199 USD). The traditional "Boxed" retail equivalent goes for KRW 295,700 (~$207 USD), while the barebones "Tray" (OEM-oriented) package is priced at KRW 261,200 (~$183 USD). Tom's Hardware checked out the new offering's Batch # and Serial # codes: "on Intel's warranty information page, (it) said that the ATPO (Batch #) we listed indicated that it was a tray processor...We'd like to believe the numbers on the image were just placeholders that belong to a tray processor, or that Intel RMAs in South Korea are all handled by its distributors." Danawa's news piece repeatedly claims that the two new options offer lower pricing compared to "existing genuine box products," but come with the "same genuine warranty" terms.

Today, Lenovo announced three new infrastructure solutions, powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, designed to modernize and elevate data centers of any size to AI-enabled powerhouses. The solutions include next generation Lenovo ThinkSystem V4 servers that deliver breakthrough performance and exceptional versatility to handle any workload while enabling powerful AI capabilities in compact, high-density designs. Whether deploying at the edge, co-locating or leveraging a hybrid cloud, Lenovo is delivering the right mix of solutions that seamlessly unlock intelligence and bring AI wherever it is needed.

The new Lenovo ThinkSystem servers are purpose-built to run the widest range of workloads, including the most compute intensive - from algorithmic trading to web serving, astrophysics to email, and CRM to CAE. Organizations can streamline management and boost productivity with the new systems, achieving up to 6.1x higher compute performance than previous generation CPUs with Intel Xeon 6 with P-cores and up to 2x the memory bandwidth when using new MRDIMM technology, to scale and accelerate AI everywhere.

Intel today showcased how Intel Xeon 6 processors with Efficient-cores (E-cores) have dramatically accelerated time-to-market adoption for the company's solutions in collaboration with the ecosystem. Since product introduction in June 2024, 5G core solution partners have independently validated a 3.2x performance improvement, a 3.8x performance per watt increase and, in collaboration with the Intel Infrastructure Power Manager launched at MWC 2024, a 60% reduction in run-time power consumption.

"As 5G core networks continue to build out using Intel Xeon processors, which are deployed in the vast majority of 5G networks worldwide, infrastructure efficiency, power savings and uncompromised performance are essential criteria for communication service providers (CoSPs). Intel is pleased to announce that our 5G core solution partners have accelerated the adoption of Intel Xeon 6 with E-cores and are immediately passing along these benefits to their customers. In addition, with Intel Infrastructure Power Manager, our partners have a run-time software solution that is showing tremendous progress in reducing server power in CoSP environments on existing and new infrastructure." -Alex Quach, Intel vice president and general manager of Wireline and Core Network Division

LG Electronics USA (LG) today announced pricing and pre-order availability of its 2025 AI-enabled LG gram lineup, the company's first on-device AI-laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs. Introduced at CES 2025, the new lineup includes the LG gram Pro Z90TP ($1999 to $2399), LG gram Pro Copilot+PC Z90TS ($1849 to $2399), LG gram Pro 2-in-1 T90TP ($1999 to $2399) and LG gram Copilot+PC Z90TL ($1999 to $2399). Leveraging LG's gram AI technology, and cloud AI capabilities powered by GPT-4o, these laptops deliver impressive hybrid AI performance while preserving the LG gram's iconic slim and lightweight design.

Throughout the duration of the pre-order period (Feb. 24, 2025 to March 23, 2025), customers will receive an LG gram +view IPS portable monitor (349.99 value) at no additional cost and $200 savings on select models. All standard terms of purchase apply.

Intel has updated its 18A node website with the message, "Intel 18A is now ready for customer projects with the tape outs beginning in the first half of 2025: contact us for more information." The contact hyperlink includes an email where future customers can direct their questions to Intel. Designed as a turnaround node for Intel, 18A carries industry-leading features like SRAM density scaling comparable with TSMC's N2, 15% better performance per watt, and 30% better chip density vs. the Intel 3 process node used in Intel Xeon 6, as well as PowerVia backside-power delivery to increase transistor density.

Other features like RibbonFET are the first to replace FinFET transistors, making gate leakage a tighter control. Interestingly, Intel's first products to use the 18A node are client CPUs "Panther Lake" and "Clearwater Forest" Xeon CPUs for data centers. External Intel Foundry customers using the 18A node include Amazon's AWS, Microsoft for its internal silicon for Azure, and Broadcom exploring 18A-based designs. The process of gaining customers for advanced manufacturing is complex, as many existing Samsung/TSMC customers are not risking their capacity and contracts with established advanced silicon makers. However, if Intel's first few customers prove successful, many others could flock over to Intel's fabs as geopolitical tensions are questioning whether the current models of the semiconductor supply chain are feasible in the future. If US companies and startups decide to move with Intel for their chip manufacturing, Intel could experience a complete recovery.

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.

Loongson Technology has announced its next-generation 3B6600 processor—according to recent Chinese press reports, early details were disclosed in "investor relations activity" documentation. Their eight-core design is still in development, with the fabless company (allegedly) setting some lofty performance goals. According to a MyDrivers report (citing Fast Technology), the 3B6600 processor's single-core and multi-core "high level" performance is touted to match that of Core i5 and i7 offerings from Intel's 12th and 13th Generation portfolios. In the past, Loongson has compared its older products to Western equivalents. Last year, their 3A6000 chip design was mentioned in the same sentence as "AMD Zen 4 and Intel Raptor Lake" processor families. Around November 2023, reports had it approximating Team Blue Core i3-10100 "Comet Lake" CPU performance.

The next-gen 3B6600 CPU is supposedly using its predecessor (3A6000) as a springboard; MyDrivers believes that the same in-house LoongArch ISA design (fabricated on 12 nm/14 nm) will be revisited. The publication highlighted a significant area of optimization: "single-core performance of 3B6600 is expected to be in the world's leading ranks...Loongson 3B6600 will continue to use mature technology, and the architecture core will be upgraded to the new LA864. The same frequency performance is greatly improved by about 30%, compared with the Loongson 3A6000's LA664 architecture." Loongson engineers are reportedly targeting a maximum turboboost frequency of 3.0 GHz, but under normal operation the 3B6600 chip is predicted to offer a main frequency of 2.5 GHz. The new design will integrate a new "LG200 GPGPU" graphics computing core—additionally, supported standards include: DDR5 memory, PCIe 4.0 bus, and HDMI 2.1.

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.

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.

The days of 32-bit software support in NVIDIA's drivers are coming to an end, and with that, so does the support for the once iconic PhysX real-time physics engine. According to NVIDIA's engineers on GeForce forums, the lack of PhysX support has been quietly acknowledged, as NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50 series of GPUs are phasing out support for 32-bit CUDA software, slowly transitioning the gaming world to the 64-bit software entirely. While older NVIDIA GPUs from the Maxwell through Ada generations will maintain 32-bit CUDA support, this update breaks backward compatibility for physics acceleration in legacy PC games on new GPUs. Users running these titles on RTX 50 series cards may need to rely on CPU-based PhysX processing, which could result in suboptimal performance compared to previous GPU generations.

A Reddit user reported frame rates dropping below 60 FPS in Borderlands 2 while using basic game mechanics with a 9800X3D CPU and RTX 5090 GPU, all because 32-bit CUDA application support on Blackwell architecture is depreciated. When another user booted up a 64-bit PhysX application, Batman Arkham Knight, PhysX worked perfectly, as expected. It is just that a massive list of older games, which gamers would sometimes prefer to play, is now running a lot slower on the most powerful consumer GPU due to the phase-out of 32-bit CUDA app support.

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.

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.

AMD's openSIL project, aimed towards open CPU silicon initialization code, continues progressing despite a slight delay in its development timeline. The initiative, which will eventually replace the current AGESA system across AMD's client and server processors, received a new update. The company initially targeted the end of 2024 to release proof-of-concept code for Phoenix client SoCs and Turin server hardware. However, as we move through the first quarter of 2025, AMD has acknowledged a slight deviation from this schedule. In a recent statement, AMD representatives assured the developer community that work continues steadily on both Phoenix and Turin proof-of-concept releases.

"We are hard at work preparing the Phoenix and Turin POC's for public release," stated an AMD representative, emphasizing that these releases will serve as sample code previewing future production-worthy implementations. The company clarified that these initial releases are not intended for production environments. The delay has minimal impact on AMD's plan, as the primary goal remains focused on achieving full production readiness with the upcoming Zen 6 architecture. The openSIL project promises to enhance Coreboot support and provide developers with full access to low-level system components. Though limited to select reference motherboards, the proof-of-concept releases will serve as the first milestones in AMD's journey toward more open hardware solutions.