Square Enix's long-running Front Mission franchise was set to expand with an all-new entry—Front Mission 2089: Borderscape—first revealed back in April 2022. The Japanese multinational publisher announced BlackJack Studio as their chosen development partner on this fledgling project, destined for launch on mobile platforms (Android and iOS). Months later, this collaboration was terminated. Video game news outlets have picked up on a new-ish lawsuit; filed on March 13 in a Seattle, Washington court. Contained information indicates that Square Enix ended a licensing agreement and canceled development in October 2022. The 26-page legal document alleges that HK Ten Tree Limited (aka BlackJack Studio) had produced a "Front Mission-style" game that reuses assets from the shelved "2089: Borderscape" title.

BlackJack's Mecharashi IP is advertised on Steam as a: "mecha-themed tactical turn-based game. The game adopts a Front Mission-style combat system, where you can assemble mechas however you want, equip a wide selection of weapons, and choose your favorite pilots to engage in battle." According to the latest reports, Mecharashi/Metal Storm has already launched in China and Japan—a Western release is "coming soon." Square Enix seems intent on preventing the game from reaching a wider audience. According to Polygon, the Japanese video game giant has: "sent multiple DMCA takedown notices to get the game removed from storefronts; it was removed from Steam, but is back after a counter-claim was submitted. Square Enix said it also filed a lawsuit in Japanese court." Additionally, Square is seeking "maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each copyright infringed." The Front Mission IP lives on in the shape of remakes—under license, Forever Entertainment S. A. developed and published Front Mission 1st: Remake (2022). Front Mission 2: Remake arrived roughly a year later, with Storm Trident S.A. taking care of development duties. Front Mission 3: Remake was unveiled last year at the Tokyo Game Show 2024.

Tencent's large language model (LLM) specialist division has announced the imminent launch of their T1 AI inference model. The Chinese technology giant's Hunyuan social media accounts revealed a grand arrival, scheduled to take place on Friday (March 21). A friendly reminder was issued to interested parties, regarding the upcoming broadcast/showcase: "please set aside your valuable time. Let's step into T1 together." Earlier in the week, the Tencent AI team started to tease their "first ultra-large Mamba-powered reasoning model." Local news reports have highlighted Hunyuan's claim of Mamba architecture being applied losslessly to a super-large Mixture of Experts (MoE) model.

Late last month, the company released its Hunyuan Turbo S AI model—advertised as offering faster replies than DeepSeek's R1 system. Tencent's plucky solution has quickly climbed up the Chatbot Arena LLM Leaderboard. The Hunyuan team was in a boastful mood earlier today, and loudly proclaimed that their proprietary Turbo S model had charted in fifteenth place. At the time of writing, DeepSeek R1 is ranked seventh on the leaderboard. As explained by ITHome, this community-driven platform is driven by users interactions: "with multiple models anonymously, voting to decide which model is better, and then generating a ranking list based on the scores. This kind of evaluation is also seen as an arena for big models to compete directly, which is simple and direct."

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Server Tracker, the server market reached a record $77.3 billion dollars in revenue during the last quarter of the year. This quarter showed the second highest growth rate since 2019 with a year-over-year increase of 91% in vendor revenue. Revenue generated from x86 servers increased 59.9% in 2024Q4 to $54.8 billion while Non-x86 servers increased 262.1% year over year to $22.5 billion.

Revenue for servers with an embedded GPU in the fourth quarter of 2024 grew 192.6% year-over-year and for the full year 2024, more than half of the server market revenue came from servers with an embedded GPU. NVIDIA continues dominating the server GPU space with over 90% of the total shipments with and embedded GPU in 2024Q4. The fast pace at which hyperscalers and cloud service providers have been adopting servers with embedded GPUs has fueled the server market growth which has more than doubled in size since 2020 with revenue of $235.7 billion dollars for the full year 2024.

Lenovo has listed two custom Legion GPUs designed specifically for its Legion 9000K gaming systems. These models—the RTX 5090D and RTX 5080—are available exclusively in the Chinese market and are not intended for the DIY segment. The "D" designation in the RTX 5090D model signifies that the component adheres to specific regulatory standards required in China, hence Lenovo choosing it for their China-exclusive systems. Both GPUs incorporate a cooling solution that spans four expansion slots and utilizes three fans, complemented by CNC-machined metal shrouds and full backplates. While detailed parameters such as core and memory clock speeds have not been disclosed, the two models differ in their GPU architectures: the RTX 5090D is built around the larger GB202 die, and the RTX 5080 uses the smaller GB203 silicon.

Both cards employ a single 16-pin power connector and are expected to operate at standard factory settings without factory overclocking dialed in yet. But with a massive cooler configuration, it should be an easy thing to do. Regarding computational capability, the RTX 5090D delivers up to 2,375 TOPS, supporting gaming tasks and localized AI processing. These GPUs are integrated within systems powered by Intel's Core Ultra 200K series processors. System configurations start at 22,499 RMB (approximately $3,100) for units featuring the RTX 5080 paired with a Core Ultra 7 265K processor and 32 GB of RAM. In contrast, configurations with the RTX 5090D, Core Ultra 9 285K processor, and 64 GB of RAM are priced at 41,999 RMB (roughly $5,820). Lenovo has also indicated that mid-range RTX 5070 variants are planned for future releases and that final production units may vary slightly from the initial promotional renders of these cards.

Coverage of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 launch batches has mainly focused on Western market conditions, with little insight into goings-on in China. AMD and board partners held a special RDNA 4 kick-off event in Beijing at the end of February, roughly twelve hours in advance of their international presentation. According to VideoCardz, initial supplies of Yeston's Sakura and Sakura Atlantis graphics cards were snapped up quickly by regional customers. The Chinese AIB specializes in brightly-hued shroud and backplate designs, often decorated with "waifu" illustrations and miscellaneous cute graphics. Unfortunately, interested parties from abroad are limited to importing from local retail platforms.

Yeston's social media accounts have alerted potential customers to re-stocks and connected developments—their latest bulletin hints about an improved situation, following another swift depletion of refreshed stock: "hello everyone! Thank you for the support! We have received a lot of messages and would love to inform you now the supply is unstable, but we will restock every week. Please don't be frustrated if you didn't get it. The supply will become stable and continue to be available after April." Interestingly, this morning's message did not touch upon the controversial topic of price hikes. At launch, Yeston's latest Navi 48 GPU-based offerings conformed or floated just above Team Red baseline MSRP (including VAT)—4999 RMB (~$686 USD) for XT, 4499 RMB (~$617 USD) for non-XT—likely boosting demand around that time. Last week, AMD board partners in Japan expressed concerns about current supply constraints—GPU market share in that region had climbed to ~45%, due to the popularity of RX 9070 Series graphics cards. Team Red could lose ground if GPU allocation limitations continue.

Last week, we got a leaked picture of AMD's reference/OEM/Made by AMD (MBA) design of the Radeon RX 9070 XT in China. However, we have a non-XT card on the menu today, with the reference design also pictured in China. We already know that AMD is not releasing any MBA reference designs of its latest Radeon RX 9000 series GPUs based on the RDNA 4. However, the Chinese black market is the place to be when it comes to finding these MBA cards, probably manufactured in high double-digit or low tripe-digits of units. AMD usually has one of its AIB partners manufacture these for OEM integrated system distribution or partner testing/software optimization.

Pictured below is the Radeon RX 9070 non-XT GPU with an all-black shroud. Unlike official renders, this design is much more toned down. The official render shows a black/gray color combination with an LED-illuminated Radeon logo. However, the official version appears with only a simple aesthetic, without a hint of LED illumination. The card wasn't pictured running, but we assume that there is no LED illumination. Below, you can compare the pictured/leaked Radeon RX 9070 GPU with the official render.

A mysterious HiSilicon Kirin X90 processor was included in a Chinese state report; the official assessment document seems to cover the topics of native CPU reliability and security. Jukanlosreve—a keen watcher of semiconductor industry inside tracks—highlighted the unannounced technology on social media. They alerted TP Huang (aka tphuang) to this discovery, possibly in reaction to the latter's reporting of a wholly Huawei-designed AI laptop. Last week, we heard about a speculated portable enterprise PC series powered by Kunpeng-920 mobile processors. HiSilicon is a Chinese fabless semiconductor firm, operating under Huawei ownership—normally, their Kirin processors are designated as smartphone-based solutions. Industry watchdogs believe that company leadership is paving the way for a new generation of personal and server processors—their current Kunpeng-900 series debuted back in 2019, so natural successors are very likely in the development pipeline. Early last year, insiders proposed that Huawei had prioritized its Ascend 910B AI accelerator chip—despite these rumors, Kirin-related leaks continued to trickle out.

According to industry moles, HiSilicon tends to spread its custom Arm-based Taishan core design across modern Kirin and Kunpeng processor families. Based on Jukanlosreve's initial detective work, Tom's Hardware proposed a plausible outlook for the (leaked) chip's future. Their report theorized: "Huawei's server and PC divisions have been relatively quiet, as evidenced by the lack of new Kunpeng SoC designs. The new Kirin X90, despite its name, could be a possible successor, considering that Huawei is reportedly launching a new 'AI PC' with HarmonyOS next month. It's likely to be fabricated using SMIC's 7 nm process featuring Taishan V120 cores based on either the Armv8 or Armv9 architectures, which are not subject to the US trade ban." Instead of using an old hat Kunpeng-920 SoC, Huawei's forthcoming next-gen "Qingyun" AI laptop could be equipped with a Kirin X90 APU—Tom's Hardware foresees an Apple MacBook-esque "integration of custom hardware and software" with the Chinese tech firm's fully in-house developed model.

Throughout the early months of 2025, PowerColor's new product strategy seemed to signal the retirement of their entry-level "Fighter" graphics card series. A natural replacement—dubbed "Reaper"—was debuted in an official capacity at CES 2025, with AMD's introduction of the new-gen Radeon RX 9070 Series. With the delay of Team Red's RDNA 4 global market release to March 6, the Taiwanese manufacturer proceeded with a launch of custom Radeon RX 7650 GRE Reaper models in China around late February. According to a past weekend VideoCardz news report, PowerColor is expanding its RDNA 3 portfolio once again. Their investigation has unearthed a new Radeon RX 7600 "Fighter V2" model—confusingly, this variant seems to borrow the recently introduced dual-fan Reaper cooling solution.

According to leaked information, PowerColor is expected to launch its "V2" Fighter model to a global buying audience. The AIB's Radeon RX 7650 GRE Reaper cards (in black or white) will continue to serve as Chinese market exclusives. The leaked "RX7600 8G-F/V2" product identifier indicates that PowerColor is keeping its "Fighter" family alive for a little bit longer, perhaps with a designation of cards that utilize older generation architecture. Insiders propose that the incoming PowerColor RX 7600 Fighter V2 model is configured with reference specifications; mirroring version 1.0's credentials. VideoCardz has mocked up speculative packaging (see below); they reckon that a black variant is lined up for an imminent release—the aforementioned product code has cropped up across retail databases.

According to an attendee of a recent Intel AI presentation, company representatives revealed a release timeline for next-gen Core Ultra "Panther Lake" mobile processor family. Team Blue's China office appears to be courting users of DeepSeek R1, as evidenced by meng59739449's sharing of a processor product roadmap (machine translated by VideoCardz). A volume launch of Core Ultra 300 "Panther Lake-H" series seems to be on the cards for Q1 2026. Earlier this month, an Intel executive insisted that Panther Lake was on track for a second half of 2025 roll out. Lately, industry moles have alleged that a "problematic 18A node" process has caused delays across new generation product lines.

Team Blue watchdogs reckon that high volume manufacturing (HVM) of Panther Lake chips will kick off in September. By October, an Early Enablement Program (EEP) is expected to start—with samples sent off to OEMs for full approval. Industry experts believe that Intel will following a familiar pattern of "announcing the processor in the second half of the prior year, but ramping up mass production in the following year." Previous generation mobile CPU platforms—Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake—received similar treatment in the recent past. Last week, a Panther Lake-H (PTL-H) sample was on general display at Embedded World 2025—the German office is similarly engaged in hyping up the AI-crunching capabilities of roadmapped products.

A much-rumored remake of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) action role-playing game was the subject of recent debate; online tipsters proposed that the unannounced modernized version was on track for a potential mid-2025 launch. Going back to 2023, an ex-member of Virtuos—a Singapore, China-based video game development company—made claims on Reddit about the remake/remaster's apparent existence. Earlier this year, MP1st managed to extract further details from another ex-Virtuos team member—an accidental leak provided insight into the leaked project's technological underpinnings; Unreal Engine 5. According to MP1st's report, the "fully remade" version could arrive with updated gameplay systems and a much-improved HUD.

NatetheHate—a noted provider of video game insider knowledge—has adjusted his launch timeframe for Bethesda's "outsourced" Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake project. Previously, he predicted a June 2025 release window. An adjusted schedule brings things forward—as disclosed by an interaction on social media. The soothsayer reckons that Microsoft's flagship ARPG development team will make a related announcement: "either this month (March), or next month...likely sooner than the original June target, but still working to get details on an updated release date." In their coverage of NatetheHate's latest proclamation, Video Games Chronicle (VGC) cited other unnamed sources—based on word of mouth, they believe that the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake will launch in April. The VGC article touches on Virtuos being a veteran in the business of porting older/existing AAA titles to modern hardware platforms.

AMD is not releasing any "Made by AMD" (MBA) reference designs of its latest Radeon RX 9070 XT GPUs based on the RDNA 4 IP. However, leakers in China managed to get ahold of what appears to be an MBA Radeon RX 9070 XT design, assumingly being used as a prototype. While there are custom designs by AMD's AIB partners, AMD itself hasn't released the reference design to the public. The latest leak from Chinese forums confirms that this GPU actually exists beyond the standard press renders/mockups, meaning that someone can get their hands on it. The seller is offering a brand-new reference edition of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT with a warranty for one year, with the second year requiring self-paid repairs. They specify no disassembly and no damage to the unit.

The standard price is set at 5000 RMB, with a preference for local pickup. For buyers outside the city, shipping via SF Express is available with insurance, requiring a payment of at least 5800 RMB. The physical card matches the previously leaked render with its three-fan design, though with a notable color difference. Instead of the expected gray finish, the actual unit features a complete black design. Currently sealed in an antistatic bag, the card appears unused. The asking price of approximately $800 initially seems high but aligns with current market rates for custom versions. The listing has already disappeared, suggesting someone has already snagged this rare prototype. With serial codes visible, AMD can potentially trace the person who put it up for sales, so its not a good outlook for anyone that wanted to sell it.

Many hardcore fans of the Roccat brand will lament last year's absorption of designs/IPs into the Turtle Beach product portfolio. Five years earlier, the German PC gaming accessory maker was acquired by the larger North American organization—at the time, mouse enthusiasts expressed worries regarding a sudden cut-off of popular models. The long-running Kone series was a main topic of conversation. Pleasingly, Roccat's engineering department continued to deliver new designs and refreshes of old favorites well into the early 2020s. The Kone Pure Air and Pure SEL were the team's last models to emerge under the banner of Roccat, prior to 2024's full Turtle Beach takeover. Confusingly, this somewhat unfaithful Kone design was only made available to a South Korean customer base.

Kone Pure models—in wireless (Air) and wired (SEL) forms—eventually trickled out to wider global market regions, albeit with Turtle Beach logos printed on their outer shells and packaging. A lukewarm reception from the gaming mouse community prompted further speculation—would the Kone lineage end in 2024? Chinese gaming mouse manufacturers have often "brazenly" cloned the designs of many Western-developed models. Loyal fans and brand purists would normally decry the emergence of a throwback to classic Roccat Pure times, but KYSONA's recently unveiled rendition is being celebrated. Their Uranus Pro wireless gaming mouse offering has gained traction in the West, thanks to a prominent YouTuber's recommendation and positive feedback from owners of early import units. KYSONA is hardly a big name, but they are involved in the contract manufacturing of peripherals for "visible" brands—including AJAZZ, Attack Shark, and DELUX.

Scientists from Beijing University have developed the world's first two-dimensional gate-all-around field-effect transistor (GAAFET), establishing a new performance benchmark in domestic semiconductor design. The design, documented in Nature, represents a difference in transistor architecture that could reshape the future of Chinese microelectronics design. Given the reported characteristic of 40% higher performance and 10% improved efficiency compared to the TSMC 3 nm N3 node, it looks rather promising. The research team, headed by Professors Peng Hailin and Qiu Chenguang, engineered a "wafer-scale multi-layer-stacked single-crystalline 2D GAA configuration" that demonstrated superior performance metrics when benchmarked against current industry leaders. The innovation leverages bismuth oxyselenide (Bi₂O₂Se), a novel semiconductor material that maintains exceptional carrier mobility at sub-nanometer dimensions—a critical advantage as the industry struggles to push angstrom-era semiconductor nodes.

"Traditional silicon-based transistors face fundamental physical limitations at extreme scales," explained Professor Peng, who characterized the technology as "the fastest, most efficient transistor ever developed." The 2D GAAFET architecture circumvents the mobility degradation that plagues silicon in ultra-small geometries, allowing for continued performance scaling beyond current nodes. The development comes during China's intensified efforts to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency, as trade restrictions have limited access to advanced lithography equipment and other critical manufacturing technologies. Even with China developing domestic EUV technology, it is still not "battle" proven. Rather than competing directly with established fabrication processes, the Beijing team has pioneered an entirely different technological approach—what Professor Peng described as "changing lanes entirely" rather than seeking incremental improvements, where China can not compete in the near term.

ASUS executives have warned investors that consumers may face higher prices later this year as the company accelerates its manufacturing exodus from China in response to anticipated US tariff policies. Despite efforts to absorb costs internally, ASUS acknowledged during its recent earnings call that production relocation expenses could eventually impact retail pricing. This comes as the PC industry braces for trade policy changes under the new US administration. While competitors like Dell and HP have already established diversified supply chains outside China over several years, ASUS faces the financial pressures of rapidly developing alternative production capacity. Such transitions induce significant costs beyond facility construction, including workforce training, supply chain reconfiguration, and temporary production inefficiencies.

"We will try to limit these costs to within a reasonable level. However, as we make further adjustments to production lines, it may become possible that we need to offset some of these costs to our clients," stated an ASUS co-CEO during the call. The executive noted that several competing manufacturers have already implemented price adjustments to compensate for similar expenses. ASUS wants to maintain competitive pricing despite these pressures, indicating a willingness to accept margin compression in the short term. Component-level products may experience more immediate pricing pressure than fully assembled systems, where manufacturers can partially offset tariff impacts through internal efficiencies. ASUS's cautious messaging suggests the company is attempting to balance shareholder concerns about profitability with consumer sensitivity to price increases in the competitive PC market.

The rising prominence of Huawei's Ascend accelerator series has generated plenty of news articles over the past couple of months. Earlier in the week, reports suggested that the Chinese technology giant had circumvented international trade sanctions. Many observers will forget that parts of Huawei's portfolio contain "less ambitious" products; namely notebook PCs. Despite navigating tricky conditions in 2024, the manufacturer still has access to a supply of Intel-produced processors—but a contingency plan is reportedly in place. TP Huang (aka tphuang) reckons that a completely in-house formulated "domestic commercial PC" is due for release in China. The technology soothsayer's social media post mentioned a "7 nm Kunpeng-920 CPU" clocked at 2.6 GHz. Previously, Huawei's Kunpeng proprietary processor designs were deployed in server (2024) and desktop (2020) environments.

According to Huawei Central, company representatives have disclosed that the mysterious Kunpeng-920-powered AI laptop will be added to their "Qingyun" enterprise-oriented product range. TP Huang elaborated with additional leaked details—the forthcoming model is tipped to feature: "fully domestic power management integrated circuits (PMIC); including Unisoc CT100 replacing EPSON in clock generator. It is expected to run on HarmonyOS PC version and a localized dev tool chain." An extension of Huawei and DeepSeek's current relationship is anticipated to trickle down to portable devices—insiders believe that the new AI notebook will support DeepSeek's model on edge. TP Huang predicts an April launch window.

According to Digital Chat Station—a repeat leaker of unannounced Qualcomm hardware—unnamed Android smartphone manufacturers are considering an eSIM-only operating model for future flagship devices. Starting with the iPhone 14 generation (2022), Apple has continued to deliver gadgets that are not reliant on "slotted-in" physical SIM cards. According to industry insiders, competitors could copy the market leader's homework—Digital Chat Station's latest Weibo blog post discusses the space-saving benefits of eSIM operation; being "conducive to lightweight and integrated design." Forthcoming top-tier slimline Android mobile devices are tipped to utilize Qualcomm's rumored second-generation "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2" (SM8850) chipset.

Digital Chat Station reckons that: "SM8850 series phones at the end of the year are testing eSIM. Whether they can be implemented in China is still a question mark. Let's wait and see the iPhone 17 Air. In order to have an ultra-thin body, this phone directly cancels the physical SIM card slot. Either it will be a special phone for the domestic market, or it will get eSIM." The phasing out of physical SIM cards within the Chinese mobile market could be a tricky prospect for local OEMs, but reports suggest that "traditionally-dimensioned" flagship offerings will continue to support the familiar subscriber identity module standard. Physical SIM card purists often point out that the format still provides superior network support range.

As reported last month, GALAX had distributed prototypes of its upcoming flagship "Hall of Fame" (HOF) card—based on NVIDIA's Chinese market exclusive GeForce RTX 5090D GPU—to prominent figures within the PC hardware overclocking community. Earlier examples sported single 12V-2×6 power connectors, although GALAX's exposed white PCB design showed extra space for an additional unit. Evaluators conducted experiments involving liquid nitrogen-based cooling methods. The most vocal of online critics questioned the overclocking capability of initial GeForce RTX 5090D HOF samples, due to limitations presented by a lone avenue of power delivery. A definitive answer has arrived in the form of the manufacturer's elite team-devised GeForce RTX 5090D HOF Extreme Overclock (XOC) Lab Limited Edition candidate; a newer variant that makes use of dual 12V-2×6 power connectors. Several overclocking experts have entered into a GALAX-hosted competition—Micka:)Shu, a Chinese participant, posted photos of their test rig setup (see below).

Micka's early access sample managed to achieve top placement GPU on UL Benchmarks' 3DMark Speed Way Hall of Fame, with a final score of 17169 points. A screenshotted GPU-Z session shows the card's core frequency reaching 3277 MHz. Around late January, ASUS China's general manager (Tony Yu) documented his overclocking of a ROG Astral RTX 5090 D GAMING OC specimen up to 3.4 GHz; under liquid nitrogen cooled conditions. GALAX has similarly outfitted its flagship model with selectively binned components and an "over-engineered" design. The company's "bog-standard" HOF model is no slouch, despite the limitation imposed by a single power connector. The GALAX OC Facebook account sent out some appreciation to another noted competitor (and collaborator): "thanks to Overclocked Gaming Systems—OGS Rauf for help with the overclock of GeForce RTX 5090D HOF, and all of (our) GALAX products." The OGS member set world records with said "normal" HOF card—achieving scores of 59,072 points in 3DMark's Fire Strike Extreme project, and 25,040 points in Unigine Superposition (8K-optimized).

According to a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies report, Huawei got its hand on approximately two million Ascend 910B logic dies through shell companies that misled TSMC. This acquisition violates US export controls designed to restrict China's access to advanced semiconductor technology. The report details how Huawei leveraged intermediaries to procure chiplets for its AI accelerators before TSMC discovered the deception and halted shipments. These components are critical for Huawei's AI hardware roadmap, which progressed from the original Ascend 910 (manufactured by TSMC on N7+ until 2020) to the domestically produced Ascend 910B and 910C chips fabricated at SMIC using first and second-generation 7 nm-class technologies, respectively. Huawei reportedly wanted TSMC-made dies because of manufacturing challenges in domestic chip production. The Ascend 910B and 910C reportedly suffer from poor yields, with approximately 25% of units failing during the advanced packaging process that combines compute dies with HBM memory.

Despite these challenges, the performance gap with market-leading solutions still remains but has narrowed considerably, with the Ascend 910C reportedly delivering 60% of NVIDIA H100's performance. Huawei has executed a strategic stockpiling initiative, particularly for high-bandwidth memory components. The company likely acquired substantial HBM inventory between August and December 2024, when restrictions on advanced memory sales to China were announced but not yet implemented. The semiconductor supply chain breach shows that enforcing technology export controls is challenging, and third parties can still purchase silicon for restricted companies. While Huawei continues building AI infrastructure for both internal projects and external customers, manufacturing constraints may limit its ability to scale deployments against competitors with access to more advanced manufacturing processes. Perhaps a future domestic EUV-based silicon manufacturing flow will allow Huawei to gain access to more advanced domestic production, completely circumventing US-imposed restrictions.

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors are reportedly due to launch mid-way through next week (March 12)—this "unofficial" release date was revealed by JD.com listings. Yesterday's report focused on the popular Chinese e-commerce platform's apparent leaking of Team Red's mid-March schedule. Last month, a local tipster—Golden Pig Upgrade—also alluded to a possible March 12 rollout of 16 and 12-core 3D V-Cache-equipped Zen 5 chips. In a surprise move, JD has started selling Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D units. Earlier today, ITHome spotted updated product pages—JD disclosed that it was prepping an earlier than expected sale: "limited time and limited quantity available at 20:00 (local time) on March 7."

Officially, AMD has only teased a loose March launch window for its latest Ryzen Niners. VideoCardz has kept track of the company's recent announcements, and opines that the Ryzen 9000X3D release strategy is strange one. Embargoes for reviewer and influencers are tipped for lifting on March 11, so JD's premature sale of Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors clashes with this schedule. JD's unusual 20:00 release time was highlighted by VideoCardz; they reckon that the 22:00 hour is a more appropriate kick-off time. It is possible that the limited quantity/short period sale was a mislabeled promotion for pre-orders—something could be lost in translation (see primary screenshot below), but similar events were reported in recent history.

COLORFUL has introduced a compelling new "X3D Gaming Mode" for its AM5-socketed motherboard models. The Chinese manufacturer previewed this newly supported feature via their official Weibo video channel—naturally, this mode was advertised as working in conjunction with compatible AMD Ryzen 7000X3D and 9000X3D processors. Curiously, COLORFUL did mention that non-3D V-Cache-equipped AM5 CPUs can work with their "X3D Gaming Mode." The aforementioned preview video demonstrates this new feature—accessed via the showcased B650 motherboard's BIOS interface—disabling Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) on an involved processor. The population of dual-CCD Team Red 3D V-Cache models is set to grow this month, with the upcoming launch of Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D chips.

COLORFUL's X3D Gaming Mode is touted to improve performance on dual-CCD CPUs, since it will disable the second unit. By transferring workloads to the (active) primary CCD, latency is reduced—thus boosting in-game performance. COLORFUL claimed that frame rates—in PUBG—increased by 17%, following the enabling of their snazzy X3D Gaming Mode. Wccftech opined on this scenario: "for processors like Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D, the X3D Gaming Mode is more ideal than on the single CCD non-X3D processors (e.g. Ryzen 7 9800X3D). Keep in mind that the performance of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D may be affected noticeably when one of its CCDs gets disabled. Since the processor brings only six cores on each CCD, it may not be ideal for a lot of users...Colorful's X3D Gaming Mode reminds us of Gigabyte's X3D Turbo Mode, but the latter works a bit differently and doesn't disable SMT or CCD but tweaks some CPU parameters." A "halved" Ryzen 9 9950X3D (16-core) is expected to behave in a similar manner to the current reigning champion (8-core) within gaming ecosystems.

Earlier today, GALAX unveiled a brand-new custom GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card—according to ITHome, this offering marks the debut of the manufacturer's FIRE product series. This nomenclature has raised eyebrows across Western press outlets—given recent "high temperature" events involving NVIDIA "Blackwell" GPUs; GALAX's latest introduction seems to be a bit clumsy (timing-wise). The freshly introduced triple-fan model sports a "Cyber Black Flame" design; promotional imagery showcases an almost all-black aesthetic. The shroud features carbon fiber texturing and pattern-embossed sections. Its backplate displays prominent white GALAX branding and GeForce RTX text. The FIRE's cooling system is referred to as "wandering star."

According to its specification sheet, the GALAX GeForce RTX 5070 FIRE 12 GB model sticks closely to Team Green reference points. Currently, TechPowerUp's GPU database lists four GB205 GPU-based GALAX SKUs—in 1-Click or EX Gamer forms—all factory overclocked affairs. ITHome's report does not mention any price point for the debut FIRE card, but expectations point to a possible baseline MSRP conformant release in China. GALAX has prepped the GeForce RTX 5070 FIRE with a very barebones dual-slot design—akin to MSI's relatively new SHADOW 3X series. The GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 3X model also adheres to NVIDIA reference specs, including a TDP rating of 250 W.

When the US imposed sanctions on Chinese semiconductor makers, China began the push for sovereign chipmaking tools. According to a study conducted by the Emerging Technology Observatory (ETO), Chinese institutions have dramatically outpaced their US counterparts in next-generation chipmaking research. Between 2018 and 2023, nearly 475,000 scholarly articles on chip design and fabrication were published worldwide. Chinese research groups contributed 34% of the output—compared to just 15% from the United States and 18% from Europe. The study further emphasizes the quality of China's contributions. Focusing on the top 10% of the most-cited articles, Chinese researchers were responsible for 50% of this high-impact work, while American and European research accounted for only 22% and 17%, respectively.

This trend shows China's lead isn't about numbers only, and suggests that its work is resonating strongly within the global academic community. Key research areas include neuromorphic, optoelectric computing, and, of course, lithography tools. China is operating mainly outside the scope of US export restrictions that have, since 2022, shrunk access to advanced chipmaking equipment—precisely, tools necessary for fabricating chips below the 14 nm process node. Although US sanctions were intended to limit China's access to cutting-edge manufacturing technology, the massive body of Chinese research suggests that these measures might eventually prove less effective, with Chinese institutions continuing to push forward with influential, high-citation studies. However, Chinese theoretical work is yet to be proven in the field, as only a single company currently manufactures 7 nm and 5 nm nodes—SMIC. Chinese semiconductor makers still need more advanced lithography solutions to reach high-volume manufacturing on more advanced nodes like 3 nm and 2 nm to create more powerful domestic chips for AI and HPC.

XFX appears to be lining up separate tranches of Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards for different markets; Chinese media outlets have reported a wide-spanning lineup of "domestic" and "overseas" edition SKUs. VideoCardz has spotted another potential China-exclusive model—their past weekend investigative piece put the spotlight on a Radeon RX 9070 XT dual-fan SWIFT design. This variant was found on XFX's Tmall e-tail store. The manufacturer's Chinese language official site does not list this curiosity, and recent press material has focused on a lineup of triple-fan cooled solutions. XFX's Western web presences do not allude to any twin-fan variants within the MERCURY, QUICKSILVER, or SWIFT classes.

AMD's recent full-fledged introduction of RDNA 4 included promotional renders of reference card designs, but the launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 involves an entirely board partner-manufactured pool of SKUs. The XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT SWIFT dual-fan model is priced exactly at the level of Team Red's regional guide MSRP: 4999 RMB (including VAT). It likely serves as a direct alternative to an absent AMD-built dual-fan reference card. According to a comparative table of XFX model specifications (see below), the dual-fan variant shares identical data points—excluding physical measurements—with its longer siblings.

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.

GALAX's Hall of Fame (HOF) graphics card family has welcomed another addition; their newest custom offerings house NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (GB203) GPUs. TechPowerUp's W1zzard reviewed a lower-end sibling card—GALAX's "1-Click OC White" model—that is provisioned to conform to Team Green's baseline MSRP ($750). By contrast, the freshly introduced GeForce RTX 5070 Ti HOF OC LAB Deluxe and Deluxe-X variants are expected to arrive at retail with significant premium upcharges—these are true flagships; featuring pre-binned GPU dies and high-end components. GALAX introduced its fancily-named GeForce RTX 5080 HOF OC LAB Plus-X model earlier last month, but hardcore enthusiasts will have to wait longer for an RTX 5090D-based sibling.

The GALAX GeForce RTX 5070 Ti HOF OC LAB Deluxe models are tipped to become world record breakers, due to their over-engineered makeup—prepped with a 14+6+6 phase power design. Quite fittingly, a signature (detachable) crown formation adorns several "Hall of Fame" shrouds—a similarly shaped cutout is present on HOF I/O brackets. VideoCardz believes that only two GeForce RTX 5070 Ti "Hall of Fame" SKUs will be released, instead of the expected four. Normally, GALAX introduces options that do not include their garish RGB-lit crown attachment. The publication noted a mere 30 MHz difference between Deluxe and Deluxe-X SKUs overclocked frequencies: 2580 MHz and 2610 MHz (respectively). Spec sheets reveal many shared traits; including gaming clocks of 2512 MHz, 300 W TGP (max. 350 W), and GB203 GPU. Visual analysis—of the bare HOF board—points to the utilization of Team Green's GB203-400 variant. VideoCardz reckons that the GALAX engineering team will be re-deploying the GeForce RTX 5080 HOF's PCB design, complete with 26 phase power design. The China-based AIB has not revealed price points for its two incoming GeForce RTX 5070 Ti HOF OC LAB Deluxe cards, but industry watchdogs anticipate costs going beyond $1000.