Modularity takes center stage in Framework's latest laptop innovation—the Laptop 16—showcased at their CES 2024 booth. The TechPowerUp team was there to look at the modules that the company showed. As a bigger brother to their popular Laptop 13, the 16-inch model amps up the modularity with new expansion systems for unrivaled customizability. The showstopper is the laptop's graphics modularity, realizing the long-sought dream of upgradeable discrete GPUs in a laptop. Gamers and creators can swap graphics modules to keep up with the latest technology. The laptop also introduces a modular keyboard deck with interchangeable parts for full input flexibility. Framework's expansive modularity translates to sustainability. Components can be reused, reducing e-waste. The company is open-sourcing designs and engaging partners to participate in the ecosystem.

Starting at $1399 for the DIY edition, the choice is either AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 9 7940HS CPUs, along with Radeon RX 7700S graphics configured at 100 Watt TGP. A variety of modules and various keyboard positions can be seen in the pictures below, including the configuration with LED matrix spacer, color shifting spacer, different color screen bezels, and much more. Additional modules like SD Card expansion module are coming soon as well.

Global semiconductor capacity is expected to increase 6.4% in 2024 to top the 30 million *wafers per month (wpm) mark for the first time after rising 5.5% to 29.6 wpm in 2023, SEMI announced today in its latest quarterly World Fab Forecast report.

The 2024 growth will be driven by capacity increases in leading-edge logic and foundry, applications including generative AI and high-performance computing (HPC), and the recovery in end-demand for chips. The capacity expansion slowed in 2023 due to softening semiconductor market demand and the resulting inventory correction.

This is likely our last Framework Laptop 16 Deep Dive before we start shipping, and those of you who ordered one can dive deep on your own. We began mass production of Mainboards last week, which we'll hold onto as we resolve the last few remaining open items to begin full system manufacturing. You may be thinking, do we really need a deep dive on connectors? The answer is a resounding "Yes!"—as connectors are surprisingly among the most complex and critical parts of building a product that is slim, durable, high performance, and easy to repair. Connectors are the electrical and mechanical interfaces between modules in the system.

They are what actually makes the product modular! Each connector needs to be easy to engage, hard to accidentally disengage during vibration or drop, robust across repeated re-connections, thin enough to fit within a tiny space, electrically sound from a signal integrity and power perspective, readily manufacturable, and cheap. Our most complicated connectors are made up of dozens of tiny formed metal parts in plastic or metal shells. Given the complexity, our preference is always to find well-proven off-the-shelf connectors. However, occasionally we run into unique interconnect scenarios that don't match anything out there. In these instances, we're forced to customize our own solutions. With Framework Laptop 16, we developed two of these to enable our new module ecosystems.

On November 3, Diablo general manager Rod Ferguson and production directors Tiffany Wat and Chris Wilson took the stage at BlizzCon's opening ceremony to recap the plethora of quality-of-life updates released for Diablo IV since Season of Blood began on October 17, and to provide a glimpse at the fiendish adventures coming to Diablo IV. For our first Expansion, you'll be taken somewhere more sinister than ever before—a place where hatred's influence continues to strangle Sanctuary into submission…

Vessel of Hatred continues the grim tale that began in Diablo IV, as you learn the fate of the prime evil Mephisto and his demonic plans for Sanctuary. To do that, you'll be visiting a region new to Diablo IV, known by the locals as Nahantu. With this continuation of the campaign's story comes new ways to play, new evils to vanquish, and a brand-new Class never before seen in the Diablo universe. Vessel of Hatred releases late next year, and we can't wait to share more about it with you next summer.

Today at BlizzCon 2023, Blizzard Entertainment announced The Worldsoul Saga, featuring three upcoming expansions for the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft. Players will begin their adventure deep beneath the surface in the World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion, slated for release in 2024. World of Warcraft: Midnight and World of Warcraft: The Last Titan will round out a three-part saga that calls players home to save Azeroth.

"Beginning with The War Within, The Worldsoul Saga is grown from the seeds of what captured the hearts of players around the world when they first set foot in Azeroth," said World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale. "For veteran players, the last 20 years have led to this, and for those who have never set foot in Azeroth, this is a whole new adventure."

Unlock the rich history and stories of two remarkable civilizations—The Mountain Royals is now live! The exciting next expansion is available now on Steam, and the Microsoft & Xbox Stores. There so much to delve in to with two new civilizations, three new, fully-voiced campaigns, plus the newly updated Persian civilization.

Prepare to embark on a legendary journey as we introduce the "The Mountain Royals" DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Unlock the rich history and untold stories of two remarkable civilizations, the Armenians and Georgians, and immerse yourself in three captivating new campaigns: Tamar, Thoros the Great, and Ismail. Lead the Charge! Forge Empires! Get "The Mountain Royals" DLC Now and Conquer History Anew!

Accompanying The Mountain Royals expansion will be an update including a massive rework of the Persian civilization! This update will be available to everyone who owns the base game of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, whether you have purchased the upcoming The Mountain Royals expansion or not. Prepare to embark on a legendary journey in "The Mountain Royals" DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Unlock the rich history and untold stories of two remarkable civilizations, the Armenians and Georgians, and immerse yourself in three captivating new campaigns: Tamar, Thoros the Great, and Ismail.

The Persian Civilization Identity
As more civilizations were released through additional expansions, we found the Persian civilization was slowly becoming less unique and their primary identity as a Knight civilization had become less meaningful. We strived for the way the Persians are represented in-game to incorporate additional design, while representing their rich history, creating more unique tools for the Persian civilization's toolbox. We wanted to provide you with more interesting strategic choices, and ways for you to engage your opponents, all while representing them from the early Middle Ages to late empire.

Today, Paradox Interactive announced Astral Planes, a new narrative-focused expansion for its sci-fi strategy game Stellaris, coming later this year on PC. Thanks to new reality-breaking technologies and systems, in Astral Planes players will explore alternative dimensions and encounter creatures and phenomena in numerous parallel worlds. They will chart their own path through the unknown in self-contained and fully branching narratives, adding new depth and agency to player choices.

Navigate wonders and dangers through the different features included in Astral Planes:
NEW CORE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Unlock new Technologies, Actions, and Relics to manipulate space and interact with the galaxy in unexpected ways. Explore new realms filled with mysteries and opportunities.

Marking a milestone in Intel's ongoing manufacturing expansion in Arizona, the company today announced that the initial portion of the cleanroom is "weather tight" and the "blow down" phase has begun at the company's two new leading-edge chip factories on its Ocotillo campus in Chandler, Arizona. This milestone underscores Intel's dedication to advancing its presence in the state and fostering technological innovation.

"Our commitment to Arizona runs deep, and as we expand our operations, we remain dedicated to addressing the growing demand for semiconductors and helping the United States regain its leadership position in this vital industry. This milestone represents the result of great teamwork, proficient teams and exceptional craftsmanship of the tradespeople, and it's thanks to their hard work that we've made such significant progress on our site while keeping our culture of caring and the safety of all as our top priority." -Dan Doron, Intel vice president and general manager of Fab Construction Enterprise

Greetings, Pilots! With EVERSPACE 2 now successfully available on PC and current-gen platforms, it's time for our first free update! Our Armed & Dangerous Update is available now on all platforms. This free update is gear-focused and brings a few community-requested features, as well as a slew of tweaks and bug fixes. At its heart, EVERSPACE 2 is a looter-shooter and what every good looter-shooter needs is MORE ITEMS. With the latest update, we bring 10 new item sets, 2 new companion perks, 4 new ship perks for each class, 4 new catalysts for crafting, 15 new Tier 4 wing modules, and more to EVERSPACE 2.

We've also added more than 40 new item attributes to the loot pool, giving you all a greater variety of potential combinations to fit together. We can't wait to see the amazing builds you'll create! Now, we've already anticipated that many players will be seeking that one perfect piece of gear to complete a build and to aid you, we've added a new gear modifier action feature that allows re-rolling of bonus attributes.

Just a few weeks ago at Gamescom we announced that an expansion for Age of Empires IV—The Sultans Ascend—would be coming soon. Today we're thrilled to let our PC and Xbox console players around the world know that they'll be able to play this exciting new content on November 14! Pre-orders are available now for everyone wanting to graduate The Sultans Ascend from their wishlist and begin counting down the days.

This new Age of Empires IV single player campaign takes place in the Middle East during the European Crusades. You'll take on the role of the Muslim resistance to the invasion and follow the story of well-known Muslim leaders, their struggles with the Crusaders, and the battles they fought. Our story begins with the First Crusade at the end of the 11th century, when Muslim provinces are mired in rivalry with one another.

Yesterday we pre-announced that we're developing an SD Expansion Card. Normally we don't announce a product until we've fully locked the feature-set, brought up the necessary suppliers and manufacturing environment, completed most of the engineering and a substantial level of testing and validation, and are on a high confidence path to a specific release date at a specific price. This is because development of brand new products requires charting a course into the unknown. We set a target for what the product will be from the start, but as we proceed and learn, we often need to adjust the schedule, scope, and cost, and sometimes even need to outright pause or cancel development. Announcing just before shipping is how most companies operate to reduce churn and public uncertainty, but it means the product development process ends up extremely opaque.

We decided we're going to treat this one product on our roadmap a little differently. A full-size SD Expansion Card is consistently the most requested Expansion Card by the community, which makes it a great one to open up. We're just at the start of the process now, and Hyelim on our Marketing team is creating a new YouTube series to share updates and insights as we go through the New Product Introduction (NPI) process. Take a look at the first video (below) and let us know what you think as we complete (or don't complete) the product.

Rod Fergusson, general franchise manager of Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo IP, has confirmed that IV's post-release content release model is set for some adjustments—in an interview, conducted by Dextero, he said: "When you look at the launch of the game and this first season, we see that as building a foundation on which we can build for the future. So, as we look at our quarterly seasons, and we look at our annual expansions, those are the things that we're really focused on for our live service." Several media outlets have jumped on Fergusson's statement—comparisons have been made to Bungie's approach to keeping online multiplayer franchises alive for a long time. Paul Tassi (via Forbes) pointed out that Diablo IV's leadership is pushing for the: "exact same model as Destiny 2."

Sections of the fan base have not yet warmed to this more live service-heavy content model, when compared to previous entries in the long-running ARPG series. Past reports have cited Blizzard's continued recruitment drive to bolster these efforts, albeit only for seasonal DLC. The annual release model is very much a fresh announcement, and Fergusson stopped short of revealing pricing and exact launch windows: "We've got plans, we have storylines that go well into the future. When you look back and realize that there were 11 years between Diablo III and Diablo IV, that feels like we didn't live up to our players, our community, and what they deserve. That's something we are rectifying in D4 with our seasons and our expansions."

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today introduced the new dual-port QXG-25G2SF-E810 25GbE SFP28 network expansion card. Equipped with the Intel Ethernet Controller E810-XXVAM2, the QXG-25G2SF-E810 supports PCIe Gen 4 (backwards compatible with PCIe Gen 3) and can be installed in QNAP NAS and Window /Linux workstations/servers. It fulfills the demand for upgrading to low-latency enterprise-level 25GbE networks, and is ideal for server rooms, virtualization applications, media streaming/real-time editing, and data backup/restore.

"Virtualization, 4K/8K video editing, and other data-intense applications have accelerated the adoption of 25GbE networks by enterprises and creative industries," said Andy Chuang, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "25GbE is agile, scalable, and provides an easy upgrade path to 100GbE. The QXG-25G2SF-E810 adapter provides these advantages and enables future-proofed bandwidth-efficient workflows for organizations."

Hello, it's unbelievable to me that it has been SEVEN years since No Man's Sky was released, and to celebrate today we are releasing our largest update of the year - No Man's Sky ECHOES. Our aim with ECHOES has been to breathe new life into the universe, with a new robotic race, our first race introduced since launch in 2016. We have also overhauled space combat with a focus on creating truly epic space battles, introducing freighter-to-freighter battles for the first time.

In ECHOES Travellers will discover a never seen before, long-hidden race of robots with rich new story content. Engage in robot assignments and rituals to earn a huge array of mechanical parts to create your own robotic avatar. New pirate freighters bring huge space battles to the universe. Defend fleets from pirates. Fly through enemy trenches to sabotage their shields, and destroy them!

Whispers in the Walls: Winter 2023—coming to all platforms this winter, Whispers in the Walls will drop you into a hair-raising conflict rife with shocking revelations that will shake the Origin System to its very core. In this new story-driven cinematic quest, you'll be caught in the middle of a deadly battle between Albrecht Entrati, one of the Origin System's most brilliant minds, and the unknowable Man in the Wall. The board is set and the pieces are moving. Can you put it all together in time, Tenno?

Naturally, you won't be fighting unarmed, either. Hold fast against the dangers littered throughout Albrecht Entrati's secret laboratory with an all-new Secondary weapon class—the otherworldly Grimoire. Whispers in the Walls will also introduce the Murmur, a brand-new faction created by the Man in the Wall, along with a reworked and expanded Necramech enemy faction. No matter how you do battle, the forces arrayed against you have never been more fearsome.

Framework products are now available to order in three more countries: Italy, Spain, and Belgium! That includes Framework Laptop 13, Framework Laptop 16 pre-orders, and the range of modules and parts in the Framework Marketplace. We have Italian, Spanish, and Belgian keyboard layouts available as well. This brings the total number of countries we're in up to 12 (US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Australia, Italy, Spain, Belgium) and we're still on track to open ordering in Taiwan later this summer. We know there are more of you out there who want upgradeable, repairable, customizable products, and we're continuing to build the infrastructure to expand to more of the world. We prioritize countries based both on the operational complexity and on community interest. The best way to help us gauge demand is by signing up for the waitlist for your country.

13th Gen Intel Core now in stock
We've shipped out the last batch of pre-orders, and the Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) is now in stock and shipping from inventory, including for shipments to the three new countries. This means after placing an order, your laptop will ship within five business days from our warehouse in Taiwan. If you're past the point of repair on your current system and are looking for a high-performance, upgradeable, repairable notebook, check out the reviews from The Verge, Tom's Guide, and Ars Technica to figure out if a Framework Laptop 13 is for you.

Supermicro, Inc., a Total IT Solution Provider for Cloud, AI/ML, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is delivering a high-throughput, low latency E3.S storage solutions supporting the industry's first PCIe Gen 5 drives and CXL modules to meet the demands of large AI Training and HPC clusters, where massive amounts of unstructured data must be delivered to the GPUs and CPUs to achieve faster results.

Supermicro's Petascale systems are a new class of storage servers supporting the latest industry standard E3.S (7.5 mm) Gen 5 NVMe drives from leading storage vendors for up to 256 TB of high throughput, low latency storage in 1U or up to a half petabyte in 2U. Inside, Supermicro's innovative symmetrical architecture reduced latency by ensuring the shortest signal paths for data and maximized airflow over critical components, allowing them to run at optimal speeds. With these new systems, a standard rack can now hold over 20 Petabytes of capacity for high throughput NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabrics) configurations, ensuring that GPUs remain saturated with data. Systems are available with either the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors or 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors.

On June 30th, the Netherlands introduced new export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Despite facing export controls from the US, Japan, and the Netherlands, TrendForce anticipates the market share of Chinese foundries in terms of 12-inch wafer production capacity will likely increase from 24% in 2022 to an estimated 26% in 2026. Moreover, if the exports of 40/28 nm equipment eventually receive approval, there's a chance that this market share could expand even further, possibly reaching 28% by 2026. This growth potential should not be dismissed.

Several manufacturing processes including photolithography, deposition, and epitaxy will be subject to these recent export restrictions. Beginning September 1st, the export of all controlled items will require formal authorization. TrendForce reports that Chinese foundries have been primarily developing mature processes like 55 nm, 40 nm, and 28 nm. Furthermore, demand for deposition equipment can be largely met by local Chinese vendors, meaning concerns regarding expansion and development are minimal. The main limiting factor, however, remains the equipment used in photolithography.

In keeping with Framework's philosophy, the Framework Laptop 16 has socketed memory and storage, making it easy for you to choose what you need on day one and upgrade to more any time later. Our pre-built configurations have set combinations of memory and storage, while on DIY Edition, you can choose any of the modules we offer in the Marketplace or bring your own if you prefer. We've taken both memory and storage to the next level on Framework Laptop 16. For memory, we've created new semi-custom Framework-branded DDR5-5600 modules. For storage, we have two M.2 slots, as well as the ability to add two more in the Expansion Bay for colossal storage capacity.

One core challenge we aimed to solve for memory on the Framework Laptop 16 was being able to offer the same modules for pre-built systems, DIY Edition, and the Framework Marketplace. Historically, we needed to source separate "OEM" modules from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron for use in our factory, and "Retail" modules from Crucial to offer in DIY Edition and the Marketplace. Instead, we worked with memory maker ADATA to create custom-label modules that we can use across all areas. Currently, we're leveraging SK Hynix DDR5-5600 memory chips for these modules, but may use other chips that meet the performance bar in the future as well.

A new chapter in Tyria's story begins August 22 with the launch of Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, our newest expansion. Soon, you'll be soaring through new maps high in the skies above Tyria, testing your mettle against invaders from the Mists, and mastering new combat options. The adventure continues after launch, with major releases planned every few months that introduce new locations and rewards as they expand the features and continue the story of Secrets of the Obscure.

Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure is available for pre-purchase! Pick it up right now through our official web store or from the in-game store, Steam, or official retailers. Pre-purchasing guarantees you the following three rewards: the Demon Hunter title, the Arcane Spellweaver's Hat Skin, and an Eagle Eye weapon skin of your choice. Your pre-purchase rewards, as well as any items associated with the expansion edition you buy, will be distributed and available in the game once you apply your Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure registration code to your account. For full details on the items included with the Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate Editions, visit the official store page.

Since the end of The Callisto Protocol's main game, things have gone from bad to worse inside the penitentiary. The virus that's been wreaking havoc inside is threatening to escape the prison and it's up to you to retrieve Mahler's data and transmit it off-world. It's not going to be a walk in the park. You're going to have to fight tooth and nail to make your way through monster-infested corridors, where new abominations await.

When it comes to battling Biophage, players need reliable tools to survive. The Stun Baton is a great blunt instrument, but new threats call for new gear. According to Lead Systems Designer, Paul Guirao, the team behind The Callisto Protocol listened to fan feedback and decided to add a new melee weapon to the game. "We wanted to give players something more powerful than the Stun Baton," Guirao explained.

Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios have released Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn, the first expansion for the hit fantasy strategy game that sold more than 250 thousand copies in its first week. Dragon Dawn enhances gameplay with a distinct leader type, a physical appearance for factions, more Tomes of Magic, and even a fresh realm. Dragon Dawn is now available for a suggested retail price of $9.99/£8.49/€9.99 on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Players who purchased the Premium Edition of Age of Wonders 4 or the Expansion Pass will receive Dragon Dawn at no additional cost.

In Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn, players delve into the realm of dragons, embracing their mythical allure and ascending as mighty Dragon Rulers. Create dynamic empires, lead reptilian armies, and wield draconic magic as players burn their way through the battlefield.

You've been asking for it, and today is the day. With two upcoming downloadable content releases and additional, exciting cosmetic updates, players can look forward to a new level of adventure in Dead Island 2. Let's dive into what awaits:

First expansion: How does a billionaire prepare for the zompocalypse? A techno-death cult with a healthy splash of debauchery and gore! The first story expansion, Haus, will release in Q4, 2023.

Second expansion: Welcome to the SOLA festival, where LA's party people can greenwash their way to ecstasy and save the planet, one rave at a time. So L.A! SOLA Festival, will launch in Q2, 2024.

Rulers! We are thrilled to announce that Age of Wonders 4 Dragon Dawn Content Pack will be available in almost two weeks—on June 20th 2023! Like its name implies, the Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn Content Pack is all about dragons. Players can build their fiery empires, lead reptilian armies, harness draconic magic, and set fire to their enemies as a Dragon Ruler. The pack will also launch alongside the free Wyvern Update, including an array of updates, quality of life upgrades, and balance changes identified by the Age of Wonders community.

Dragon Dawn enhances the gameplay with a distinct leader type, a physical appearance for factions, more Tomes of Magic, and even a fresh realm option. Dragon Dawn will launch on June 20, 2023 for a suggested retail price of $9.99/£8.49/€9.99. Players who purchased the Premium Edition of Age of Wonders 4 or the Expansion Pass will receive Dragon Dawn at launch. Read more about Dragon Lords in a dedicated Dev Journal.