Amazon Web Services, a part of Amazon that is in charge of all things cloud, has announced plans to release 32 core CPU based on Arm Neoverse N1 microarchitecture that is designed to handle a diverse workload that today's cloud infrastructure needs. This new CPU should be the second iteration of AWS'es custom CPU based on the Arm architecture. First-generation AWS CPU was a processor called Graviton, which Amazon offered on-demand in the cloud.

The still-unnamed second-gen CPU will utilize a 7 nm manufacturing process if the Neoverce N1 core at its base is to be believed. Additionally, everything from the Neoverse line should translate to this next-gen CPU as well, meaning that there will be features like high frequency and high single-threaded performance, cache coherency, and interconnect fabric designed to connect special-purpose accelerators to the CPU complex. For reference, Arm's design of Neoverce N1 has a TDP of 105 W for the whole SoC and its packs 64 cores running at 3.1 GHz, delivering amazing power efficiency and high core count.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GF ) and SiFive, Inc. announced today at GLOBALFOUNDRIES Technology Conference (GTC) in Taiwan that they are working to extend high DRAM performance levels with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2E) on GF's recently announced 12LP+ FinFET solution, with 2.5D packaging design services to enable fast time-to-market for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.

In order to achieve the capacity and bandwidth for data-intensive AI training applications, system designers are challenged with squeezing more bandwidth into a smaller area while maintaining a reasonable power profile. SiFive's customizable high bandwidth memory interface on GF's 12LP platform and 12LP+ solution will enable easy integration of high bandwidth memory into a single System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions to deliver fast, power-efficient data processing for AI applications in the computing and wired infrastructure markets.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GF), the world's leading specialty foundry, announced today at its Global Technology Conference the availability of 12LP+, an innovative new solution for AI training and inference applications. 12LP+ offers chip designers a best-in-class combination of performance, power and area, along with a set of key new features, a mature design and production ecosystem, cost-efficient development and fast time-to-market for high-growth cloud and edge AI applications.

Derived from GF's existing 12nm Leading Performance (12LP) platform, GF's new 12LP+ provides either a 20% increase in performance or a 40% reduction in power requirements over the base 12LP platform, plus a 15% improvement in logic area scaling. A key feature is a high-speed, low-power 0.5 V SRAM bit cell that supports the fast, power-efficient shuttling of data between processors and memory, an important requirement for AI applications in the computing and wired infrastructure markets.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Huntsman Tournament Edition (TE) compact gaming keyboard designed for esports tournaments.

The Huntsman TE joins the Huntsman premium keyboard family built with Razer's ultra-fast light activated Optical Switches. After its introduction in June 2018, the critically acclaimed Razer Huntsman Elite has taken the world by storm, becoming the best selling gaming keyboard in the U.S. The Huntsman TE, the latest addition to Razer's lineup of high-performance gaming keyboards, now features a new type of optical switch that actuates even faster - the Razer Linear Optical Switch.

With the introduction of AMD's AIB partners' custom designs for the Navi-based RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT graphics cards, rumors (ie, reports) started to float around of AMD's discontinuation of their reference designs. However, AMD's own Scott Herkelman confirmed via Twitter that the company isn't transitioning its reference designs to an EOL (End of Life) status, and that they will continue to be offered in the traditional venues.

However, Scott did say that AMD is in the stage of transitioning their AIB partners fully to their own custom designs. This means that AMD will likely keep the market cornered on blower-style designs, that can be bought by users planning to stick their own aftermarket cooling solution and just want the cheapest possible card. This way, AIB partners will always sell Radeon cards under their own brand names, instead of something like "ASUS Radeon RX 5700".

Greenliant is now sampling its SATA 6Gb/s NANDrive EX Series ball grid array (BGA) solid state drives (SSDs) to customers that require superior data retention and high program-erase (P/E) cycles. Designed with Greenliant's EnduroSLC Technology, SATA 6 Gb/s NANDrive EX Series SSDs are capable of performing 50K, 100K and industry-leading 250K+ P/E cycles. EnduroSLC Technology substantially enhances data retention and extends write endurance of 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) SSDs with advanced hardware ECC capabilities and NAND flash management algorithms.

Developed with Greenliant's DRAM-less controller, SATA 6 Gb/s NANDrive has enhanced power loss data protection and offers four times the performance over the previous generation of SATA NANDrive products. SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs support Native Command Queuing (NCQ) up to 32 commands and use advanced NAND management techniques to optimize the device's performance during its lifetime. With faster read/write speeds and available in a wide range of capacities (2 GB - 128 GB), SATA 6 Gb/s NANDrive EX Series is ideal for high-performance computing, industrial, transportation, video and networking applications.

NVIDIA today announced that 10 new NVIDIA RTX Studio laptops and professional-grade mobile workstations are being released by major partners, delivering real-time ray tracing, advanced AI and ultra-high-resolution video editing to the world's 40 million creatives.

The latest designs from Dell, HP, Lenovo and BOXX bring the number of RTX Studio models to 27 - including 17 that are now available. These laptops power more than 40 creative and design applications that have turned "RTX On", enabling tens of millions of creatives to harness ray tracing and AI in their workflows. NVIDIA RTX features are being shown at SIGGRAPH this week in software from a diverse set of independent software vendors, including Adobe, Autodesk and Blackmagic Design.

The Wheel of Rumors turns, and assumptions come and pass, sometimes leaving unfulfilled hopes and dreams. In this case, the rumor mill, in what seems like a push from sweclockers, places Navi not as a "built from the ground-up" architecture, but rather as a highly customized iteration of GCN - iterated in the parts that it actually implements AMD's RDNA architecture, to be exact. And this makes sense from a number of reasons - it's certainly not anything to cry wolf about.

For one, AMD's GCN has been a mainstay in the graphics computing world since it was first introduced back in 2012, succeeding the company's TeraScale architecture. Game engines and assorted software have been well optimized already to take advantage of AMD's design - even with its two ISAs and assorted improvements over the years. One of the most important arguments is derived from this optimization effort: AMD's custom designs for the console market employ architectures that are GCN-based, and thus, any new architecture that would be used by both Microsoft and Sony for their next-generation consoles would have to be strictly backwards compatible.

AOC has partnered with Studio F.A. Porsche to bring a duo of monitors to market, bridging the gap between AOC's expertise and Porsche's design capabilities. The partnership has resulted in two monitors: the U32U1, which features a large, 31.5" diagonal, and the Q27T1, which sees a smaller 27" footprint. The change in size brings a change in resolution as well, with the U32U1 featuring a 4K resolution, while its 27" sibling does with a QHD resolution (2560 x 1440). Both monitors carry an IPS panel with 90% DCI-P3 coverage, but the U32U1 offers HDR 600 certification and HDR 10 support on its 10-bit panel. The Q27T1 shaves all of that in favor of an anti-glare coating.

ZSA Technology Labs, Inc. is the company behind the Ergodox EZ keyboard that we had taken a look at in great detail, and appreciated a lot. It was a retail take on the open source Ergodox keyboard concept which, until then, was available as a kit or pre-assembled by artisans in low numbers, and was not a mass-market product. One could argue the Ergodox EZ is still not a mainstream keyboard, but it certainly made things much more accessible via options to choose from for a pre-assembled keyboard, as well as a powerful, GUI-based configurator for those wanting easier firmware access and control.

In that same vein, the parent company has now introduced the Planck EZ which, as the name suggests, is based on the 47-key Planck keyboard design. Designed in conjunction with Jack Humbert, the creator of the Planck, the Planck EZ aims to be a simple, complete, portable, mechanical keyboard built with layers and ergonomics in mind. The Planck EZ goes a bit further with adding in not only multiple switch options, but also backlighting and a buzzer that can also be controlled to play 8-bit tunes from the keyboard- definitely a first in my books! The Planck EZ is up for pre-order now beginning at $180, with an estimated shipping date in June 2019.

If you've heard of Teslasuit, you've likely felt some sort of interest towards it. As well you should: the ideal of a full body suit with haptic feedback for VR experiences is enough for some of us - at least those with the hero, "I'll never get hit by any bullet" complex. Add to the full body haptic feedback capabilities such as full body motion tracking embedded into the suit, as well as localized temperature controls for transmitting heat and cold sensations, and... There's also biometric feedback built in for usage patterns and engagement ratio, to aid developers in their data collecting. Well, can I hear Ready Player One, anyone?

The company behind the Tesla suit have just announced that their product won the Red Dot: Best of the Best, the top distinction in the competition. It is granted for groundbreaking design and goes to the best products in a category. The Teslasuit is now available for distribution as a development kit, and features dedicated software, documentation, API integration with Unreal Engine, Unity, and Motion Builder.

Digital Storm is proud to launch Aventum X, our most advanced PC to date featuring a modular liquid delivery system and a pre-routed power panel to simplify common hurdles of enthusiast-class PCs.

Designed from the ground up with a focus on unmatched accessibility and modularity, Aventum X is not your average PC. A custom engineered water block located behind the motherboard tray distributes fluid throughout the chassis, eliminating the need to modify the entire liquid cooling system for upgrades or maintenance.

TSMC has become the de facto leader when it comes to manufacturing technology. The company is on the forefront of new process technologies, and provides solutions for some of the biggest players in the industry, like Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and AMD, just to name a few. This process leadership means that TSMC is being courted by numerous fabless silicon designers so as to produce their silicon chips with the latest process technologies - part of the reason why TSMC has seen increasing revenues and profits forecasts.

By the end of 2018, TSMC will have taped out 50 7 nm designs, and plans to double that number in 2019. And these design wins don't stand solely on the shoulders of TSMC's first 7 nm technology (which should account for 20% of the company's revenue by 2019); the company will also tape-out chips built upon their 7 nm + EUV process, which will begin production in 2019.

Leading gaming headset and audio accessory brand Turtle Beach (NASDAQ: HEAR) officially enters the PC gaming headset market with today's announcement that the company's all-new Atlas line of headsets built for PC is now available at participating retailers worldwide. Designed in collaboration with leading esports teams, including Astralis, OpTic Gaming, and the Houston Outlaws, Turtle Beach's Atlas line features three different models, including the Elite Atlas Pro Performance PC Gaming Headset, the powerful Atlas Three Amplified PC Gaming Headset, and the versatile Atlas One PC Gaming Headset. Each Atlas headset offers PC gamers an innovative set of features, functionality and pricing, starting with the Elite Atlas with a MSRP of £89.99, and the Atlas Three and Atlas One with MSRPs of £69.99 and £39.99, respectively. Read below for full details of each Atlas PC gaming headset.

"We worked with some of the best pro gamers in the world to make sure our new Atlas line delivers PC gamers the superior audio performance and comfort Turtle Beach is known for," said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach. "Turtle Beach's success is rooted in our ability to innovate and offer a broad portfolio of products designed for all types of gamers, from professional competitive esports athletes to those just getting into gaming, and that's what we're now bringing to the PC market with our Atlas headsets. We knew we needed more than just a single offering, so we built the Atlas lineup to cater to the various types of PC gamers out there - whether they're shopping based on specific features or budget."

A post via Chiphell makes some substantial claims on AMD's upcoming Zen 2 microarchitecture, built on the 7 nm process. AMD has definitely won the core-count war once again (albeit with a much more decisive blow to Intel's dominance than with Bulldozer), but the IPC battle has been an uphill one against Intel's slow, but sure, improvement in that area over the years. AMD did say, at the time they introduced the Zen architecture, that they had a solid understanding on Zen's choke points and its improveable bits and pieces - and took it to heart to deliver just that.

ZOTAC Technology, a Hong Kong based and a global manufacturer of innovation, is excited to announce that the world's smallest Mini PC, the ZBOX pico PI225,was a winner of the prestigious 2018 iF Design Awards in the Product Computer category. Following winning several world-renowned awards for design and innovation, including the major European Hardware Awards 2017 and Computex d&i Awards. In 2016 and 2017, the recognition of ZBOX pico PI225 with iF Design Awards is a key reaffirmation that ZOTAC is a pioneer not only in engineering but also design expertise.

The ZBOX pico PI225 was recognized by the iF International Forum Design GmbH among 6,400 entries from 54 countries and won over the jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world, with its world ranking pico size and flexible and powerful desktop performance. Just a bit taller than a typical 2.5-inch SSD drive, the super-compact mini pc powered by an Intel Apollo Lake dual-core processor provides a symphony of silent performance, capitalizing on a completely fanless design. Encouraged by the recognition of the company's design expertise, ZOTAC will remain dedicated to rigorous standards and the relentless pursuit of excellence in design and innovation.

ASUS has seemingly revised the PCB design of their ROG Strix GTX 1080 Ti graphics card in such a way that it has introduced compatibility issues with already-released custom waterblocks. The warning from Ek WaterBlocks (a silent one as well) comes via an update to their EK-MLC Phoenix GPU Module FC1080 GTX Ti, and EK-FC1080 GTX Ti waterblock modules product pages, where EK wrote that "Due to changes in the PCB design, ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards in the following S/N range are not compatible with EK-FC1080 GTX Ti Strix full cover water blocks: HBYVCM064817- HBYVCM999999; HCYVCM000001- HCYVCM059975".

Product revisions are a dime a dozen (particularly in motherboards). However, it's relatively rare that changes are enough to render cooling solutions completely incompatible with the new design. Granted, ASUS saw something worth some additional engineering, and went on to do it, so users looking towards the acquisition of a new GPU waterblock for their ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1080 Ti graphics card should just look closely to the serial numbers on their graphics card packaging. Based on the range of serial numbers, graphics cards manufactured on or after November 2017 are the ones rendered incompatible with EKWB's purpose-built GPU waterblocks, so users purchasing graphics cards after this time-frame should take particular heed.

There are two kinds of desktop CPU platforms. The mainstream tier runs from two cores up to eight, and it's great for gaming and general use. Its high-end sibling takes everything up a level with more cores, more memory channels, and more bandwidth for graphics and storage. A considerable upgrade in every regard, this high-end desktop platform appeals to power users, content creators, and prosumers who want to blur the line between desktop and workstation. AMD's Threadripper CPU is the latest addition to the desktop's heavyweight division, and it walks into the ring with an entourage of SocketTR4 motherboards in tow. This guide explains the ASUS and ROG family to help you pick the best X399 motherboard for your high-end desktop or gaming PC.

All of our X399 boards share core DNA that includes one-touch overclocking, refined cooling control, and improved RGB lighting. Yet they each have their own distinct flavor as well. The ROG Zenith Extreme brings Threadripper into the world of premium dream PCs with provisions for custom liquid cooling and 10G networking. With the Strix X399-E Gaming, hardcore gamers can build stylish rigs with power to spare for high-quality streaming. And then there's the Prime X399-A and its well-rounded foundation channeling the professional side of the platform's prodigious power. Which X399 motherboard should you buy for your build? Let's find out.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today announced that its upcoming XPG SPECTRIX D40 RGB DDR4 has been certified compatible with ASUS AURA Sync software. This allows users of ASUS motherboards to personalize the RGB lighting elements built into D40 modules with choice of color range, lighting sequence, and more. SPECTRIX D40 modules have been optimized for the Intel X299 platform with a starting speed of 2666MHz. They are also compatible with AMD AM4 motherboards. Designed for gamers, overclockers, and case modders, SPECTRIX D40 DDR4 modules provide more options and customization features and support the trend towards builds that incorporate sophisticated RGB and LED.

AOC has partnered up with cr-designer extraordinaire Porsche to come up with sleek designs for two new monitors on its range. The PDS241 and PDS217 monitors both feature a (slightly yawn-inducing) 1080p AH-IPS panel, at 24 and 27" respectively. These come in thin as razors at 5.2mm, sporting a three-way-frameless design.

Apart from the sleek design and the stand (which is a hit-or-miss aesthetic choice from my perspective), there is nothing groundbreaking on offer here. You get technologies such as AOC's SuperColor WCG (100% sRGB coverage, and 90% coverage of the NTSC color space), flicker-free operation and low blue-light technology to help combat eyestrain. And these monitors won't set you back that much, at around $240 for the 24", and $330 for the 27", though you really are paying a pretty penny for that Porsche-christened design pedigree.

After announcing its Aer Series RGB fans, NZXT has now announced the Aer F series, which parts with the RGB lighting for a more subdued design. The press release reads:

"Continuing to deliver increased performance for PC gamers and builders everywhere, NZXT today announces the newest member of its Aer family of fans with Aer F. Designed to maximize airflow, Aer F is engineered to move air efficiently, letting even the most powerful systems breath with ease. Featuring the same chamfered intake and exhaust and winglet-designed fan blades found in Aer P radiator fans, Aer F delivers powerful airflow with reduced drag, minimizing resistance and vibration. Like its Aer family counterparts, Aer F is made with long-lasting fluid dynamic bearings further enhancing their durability and cooling performance."

Super Flower, a global leader in PC gaming power supplies (and whose designs are used by a multitude of PSU manufacturers ranging anywhere from 80+ Bronze to 80+ Platinum rated power supplies), today announced its upcoming double forward 80+ Bronze product line, with available wattages ranging from 400W to 850W, with the 750W , 800 W and 850 W also being available in semi-modular options. Super Flower's own innovative layout design with optimized & refined topology includes various first grade and high-quality components, on products with power ratings of 400W / 450W / 500W / 550W / 600W / 650W / 700W / 750W / 800W and 850W.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, professional manufacturer of graphics cards and motherboards, is proud to announce that gamers and eSports enthusiasts can now enjoy full customization and personalization with the latest Colorful iGameGTX1070 X-TOP-8G Advanced Limited graphics card. This card features the latest technologies from both NVIDIA's 10-series GPU as well as Colorful's own technology to enhance performance as well as bring out your personal style in your gaming rig.

Featuring the new Silver Shark cooler designed by Colorful, the iGameGTX1070 X-TOP-8G Advanced Limited delivers 3 key benefits in a single package: aggressive performance, aggressive cooling and aggressive styling. Thanks to the cooling performance of the Silver Shark cooler, this new card delivers faster performance so you can game to peak levels without any hitch while enjoying cool and quiet performance.

BIOSTAR is proud to announce its line-up of new motherboards based on the Intel B250 chipset as part of the 2nd-generation RACING series family of products with the announcement of the BIOSTAR RACING B250GT5 and B250GT3. Both motherboards support Intel's 7th-generation Core processors as well as native support for Intel Optane Memory technology for next-generation high-speed storage.

Cooler Master, a leader in design and manufacturing computer components and peripherals, on Tuesday announced the launch the newest addition to its power supply range, the MasterWatt Lite 230V. The Power Supply is the survival kit for reliable, affordable power. Built on simple reliability, in the box are all the essentials of a reliable engine so you don't have to think about it. Cooler Master added higher-end perks like Active PFC and PWM technology for more stability, and made sure the MasterWEatt Lite met ErP 2013 and CE ratings for safety and low energy impact, making it the survival kit for reliable, affordable power.