Today at CES 2025, future business leaders will be wowed by new and powerful AI PCs and solutions from HP Inc. that empower them to collaborate and lead like never before.

Working with Purpose to Drive Impact
As the work landscape evolves, so do expectations for technology. That's why HP meticulously designed its latest lineup of commercial next-gen AI PCs to give professionals the right tools for their unique work experiences. With HP's newest EliteBooks, fast presentation creation, personalized emails, and a built-in recording studio are possible with just a simple click of a button, alongside built-in security and intelligence thanks to Wolf Security.

Intel has released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers, Version 101.6449 WHQL. The latest drivers are actually the launch driver for Intel Core Processor N-Series and Series 2, codename Twin Lake, Raptor Lake-H Refresh, Raptor Lake-U Refresh. In addition to updated support for new CPUs, the latest driver also fixes some issues on Intel Arc B-series graphics cards, as well as Intel Core Ultra Series 1 and Series 2 CPUs with Intel Arc GPUs. There are still plenty of unresolved issues on Intel Arc B- and A-series GPUs, but hopefully, Intel will fix these in the next drivers release.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6449 WHQL

PowerColor has prepared its highest-end Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU in the "Red Devil" family. In a post on the social media platform X, PowerColor shared the below picture with the following words: "Every edge shines like a gem. Every second burns like fire. If power was in your hands, how would you use it?" The picture shows an interesting design with a black shroud holding a red acrylic core, which follows the design philosophy of Red Devil cards. On the backplate, PowerColor has embedded a Red Devil sign with a meshed plate on top of it to show the card branding. Suppose the previous generations of Red Devil cards are for reference. In that case, we assume that the Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil will deliver top-tier specifications and component selection for overclocking, meaning that this card will be one of the highest-end RDNA 4 designs that we will see. Of course, surprises are welcome, and we must wait for the CES launch to see more.

According to two of the most accurate leakers, kopite7kimi and hongxing2020, NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 will feature 575 W and 360 W TDP, respectively. Previously, rumors have pointed out that these GPU SKUs carry 600 W and 400 W TGPs, which translates into total graphics power, meaning that an entire GPU with its RAM and everything else draws a certain amount of power. However, TDP (thermal design power) is a more specific value attributed to the GPU die or the specific SKU in question. According to the latest leaks, 575 Watts are dedicated to the GB202-300-A1 GPU die in the GeForce RTX 5090, while 25 Watts are for GDDR7 memory and other components on the PCB.

For the RTX 5080, the GB203-400-A1 chip is supposedly drawing 360 Watts of power alone, while 40 Watts are set aside for GDDR7 memory and other components in the PC. The lower-end RTX 5080 uses more power than the RTX 5090 because its GDDR7 memory modules reportedly run at 30 Gbps, while the RTX 5090 uses GDDR7 memory modules with 28 Gbps speeds. Indeed, the RTX 5090 uses more modules or higher capacity modules, but the first-generation GDDR7 memory could require more power to reach the 30 Gbps threshold. Hence, more power is set aside for that. In future GDDR7 iterations, more speed could be easily achieved without much more power.

NVIDIA uploaded a new video on its GeForce YouTube channel called "GeForce LAN 50 Missions and Rewards" that not only features the objective of its upcoming LAN party but also a teaser of one of the GeForce RTX 50 series "Blackwell" GPUs. Pictured below, NVIDIA purposely left it extremely dark to hide as much information as possible. However, we uncovered what was hiding in the dark PC enclosure thanks to some image processing. From the picture alone, we cannot determine what possible SKU this would represent. Potential candidates include the GeForce RTX 5090 or 5080, which are rumored to appear first at the CES launch event, with NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang taking the stage and unveiling details about the new GPU generation.

In regards to the design itself, the GPU features a two-fan configuration, meaning that the founder's edition has undergone a redesign from the traditional push/pull cooler design. If this is only a render, time will tell. However, we look forward to seeing more leaks, details, and hints just like NVIDIA left.

Hong Kong tech media HKEPC report indicates that NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card will launch on January 21, 2025. The release follows a planned announcement event on January 6, where CEO Jensen Huang will present the new "Blackwell" architecture. Anticipated specifications based on prior rumors point to RTX 5080 using GB203-400-A1 chip, containing 10,752 CUDA cores across 84 SM. The card maintains 16 GB of memory but upgrades to GDDR7 technology running at 30 Gbps, while other cards in the series are expected to use 28 Gbps memory. The graphics card is manufactured using TSMC's 4NP 4 nm node. This improvement in manufacturing technology, combined with architectural changes, accounts for most of the expected performance gains, as the raw CUDA core count only increased by 10% over the RTX 4080. NVIDIA is also introducing larger segmentation between its Blackwell SKUs, as the RTX 5090 has nearly double CUDA cores and double GDDR7 memory capacity.

NVIDIA is organizing a GeForce LAN event two days before the announcement, marking the return of this gathering after 13 years, so the timing is interesting. NVIDIA wants to capture gamer's hearts with 50 hours of non-stop gameplay. Meanwhile, AMD currently has no competing products announced in the high-end graphics segment, leaving NVIDIA without direct competition in this performance tier. This market situation could affect the final pricing of the RTX 5080, which will be revealed during the January keynote. While the January 21 date appears set for the RTX 5080, launch dates for other cards in the Blackwell family, including the RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 series, remain unconfirmed. NVIDIA typically releases different models in their GPU families on separate dates to manage production and distribution effectively.

We previously covered the announcement of the One-Netbook OneXPlayer G1, a hybrid handheld gaming laptop with a unique removable keyboard and trackpad module that hides PS Vita-like game controls, but a launch date for the Ryzen-powered Windows handheld was unknown until now. One-Netbook has now officially launched the Indiegogo crowdfunding page for the OneXPlayer G1, providing more details about the upcoming hybrid's launch configurations and confirming a January launch date. Still missing from the Indiegogo page, though, are any indications of pricing or memory configurations for the G1.

Notebookcheck also says it received confirmation from One-Netbook that the OneXPlayer G1 will launch on January 9, and that it will only be available initially via Indiegogo. As for launch configurations, the G1 will be equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a 144 Hz, 8.8-inch, 2.5 K, IPS touchscreen display, and a 14,283 mAh battery. It will also offer OcuLink and dual USB4 ports, for enhanced connectivity and compatibility with a variety of eGPU solutions.

Chinese GPU maker Moore Threads has prepared a professional graphics card called MTT X300, aimed at professional visualization workloads like CAD, BIM, GIS, and video editing. The Moore Threads X300 GPU utilizes second-generation MUSA architecture, featuring 4096 MUSA cores that deliver 14.4 TFLOPS of FP32 computing power. It comes equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, achieving a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s. The X300 takes advantage of PCIe Gen 5 x16 connectivity and offers versatile display options through three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port, supporting resolutions up to 7680 x 4320. All of that comes on a 255 W TGP package.

While the X300 GPU may be a new SKU, it resembles Moore Threads MTT S80 gaming GPU with a different firmware and set of drivers. The new X300 features hardware accelerated decoding for AV1, H.264, H.265, VP8, VP9, AVS, AVS2, MPEG4, and MPEG2, while also providing hardware encoding capabilities for AV1, H.264, and H.265. Given the professional application, the X300 can simultaneously handle up to 36 channels of 1080p@30 FPS video for both encoding and decoding operations while supporting 4-way display output up to 8K resolution. Interestingly, Moore Threads developed drivers for all mainstream CPU architectures such as x86, Arm, and even LoongArch.

Fresh details have surfaced about NVIDIA's upcoming flagship "Blackwell" graphics card, the GeForce RTX 5090, suggesting power delivery and board design changes compared to its predecessors. According to Benchlife, the new Blackwell-based GPU will feature a new 16+6+7 power stage design, departing from the RTX 4090's 20+3 phase configuration. The report confirms earlier speculation about the card's power requirements, indicating a TGP of 600 watts. This specification refers to the complete power allocation for the graphics subsystem, though the actual TDP of the GB202 chip might be lower. The RTX 5090 will ship with 32 GB of next-generation GDDR7 memory and utilize a 14-layer PCB, possibly due to the increased complexity of GDDR7 memory modules and power delivery. Usually, GPUs max out at 12 layers for high-end overclocking designs.

The upcoming GPU will fully embrace modern connectivity standards, featuring PCI Express 5.0 x16 interface compatibility and implementing a 12V-2×6 power connector design. We spotted an early PNY RTX 5090 model with 40 capacitors but an unclear power delivery setup. With additional power phases and more PCB layers, NVIDIA is pushing the power delivery and signal integrity boundaries for its next-generation flagship. While these specifications paint a picture of a powerful gaming and professional graphics solution, questions remain about the broader RTX 50 series lineup. The implementation of the 12V-2×6 connector across different models, particularly those below 200 W, remains unclear, so we have to wait for the CES-rumored launch.

NVIDIA and AMD have launched an acceleration of their next-generation GPU production and shipping schedules, racing to beat impending Trump administration tariffs that could inflate prices by up to 60%. The companies are prioritizing delivery to US warehouses before January 20, when the new trade measures are supposed to take effect. This aggressive timeline represents a significant departure from traditional GPU rollout strategies, which typically maintain controlled production rates during initial manufacturing phases. The urgent push aims to protect both consumer prices and profit margins, with manufacturers breaking from their usual conservative supply approach to ensure maximum inventory reaches American shores before the tariff deadline. NVIDIA is boosting shipments of its next-gen GeForce RTX 50 series, while AMD is busy with Radeon RX 9000 series.

The impact of these tariffs could reshape the GPU market prices, with flagship products like NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 potentially seeing price increases from the rumored $1,799 to approximately $2,500. Following similar moves by Microsoft, Dell, and HP, this strategic rush to beat tariff implementation shows the technology sector's response to evolving trade policies. These price hikes could trigger a surge in the secondary GPU market as consumers seek more affordable options. While manufacturers work to shield customers from immediate price impacts through pre-tariff stockpiling, the long-term outlook for GPU pricing and availability remains uncertain as the industry adapts to these new trade dynamics. Increasing the prices dramatically will result in a rapid fall in demand, so the supply chain is working overtime to assess and address the potential tariff issue.

Thanks to kopite7kimi, we are able to finalize the leaked specifications of NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards.
Starting off with RTX 5070 Ti, it will feature 8,960 CUDA cores and come equipped with 16 GB GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit memory bus, offering 896 GB/s bandwidth. The card is reportedly designed with a total board power (TBP) of 300 W. The Ti variant appears to use the PG147-SKU60 board design with a GB203-300-A1 GPU. The standard RTX 5070 is positioned as a more power-efficient option, with specifications pointing to 6,144 CUDA cores and 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, with 627 GB/s memory bandwidth. This model is expected to operate at a slightly lower 250 W TBP.

Interestingly, the non-Ti RTX 5070 card will be available in two board variants, PG146 and PG147, both utilizing the GB205-300-A1 GPU. While we don't know what the pricing structure looks like, we see that NVIDIA has chosen to make more considerable differentiating factors between its SKUs. The Ti variant not only gets an extra four GB of GDDR7 memory, but it also gets a whopping 45% increase in CUDA core count, going from 6,144 to 8,960 cores. While we wait for the CES to see the initial wave of GeForce RTX 50 series cards, the GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti are expected to arrive later, possibly after RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card printed circuit board has allegedly been shown in the flesh, showing the memory layout and some interesting engineering choices. The custom PCB variant (non-Founders Edition) houses more than 40 capacitors, which is perhaps not standard on the FE reference board, and 16 GDDR7 memory modules. The leaked PCB, which extends beyond standard dimensions and traditional display connector configurations, is reportedly based on NVIDIA's PG145 reference design. The memory modules are distributed systematically: five on the left, two below, five on the right, and four above the GPU die. The interface is PCIe 5.0 x16.

As NVIDIA has reportedly designated 32 GB GDDR7 memory capacity for these cards, this roughly translates into 16 x 2 GB GDDR7 memory modules. At the heart of the card lies what sources claim to be the GB202 GPU, measuring 24×31 mm within a 63×56 mm package. Power delivery uses a 16-pin 12V-6x2 power connector, as expected. The entire PCB features only a single power connector, so the 16-pin 12V-2x6, but with an updated PCIe 6.0 CEM specification, is the logical choice.

Recent benchmark leaks have revealed that AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card may not deliver the groundbreaking performance initially hoped for by enthusiasts. According to leaked 3DMark Time Spy results shared by hardware leaker @All_The_Watts, the RDNA 4-based GPU achieved a graphics score of 22,894 points. The benchmark results indicate that the RX 9070 XT performs only marginally better than AMD's current RX 7900 GRE, showing a mere 2% improvement. It falls significantly behind the RX 7900 XT, which maintains almost a 17% performance advantage over the new card. These findings contradict earlier speculation that suggested the RX 9070 XT would compete directly with NVIDIA's RTX 4080.

However, synthetic benchmarks tell only part of the story. The GPU's real-world gaming performance remains to be seen, and rumors indicate that the RX 9070 XT may offer significantly improved ray tracing capabilities compared to its RX 7000 series predecessors. This could be crucial for market competitiveness, particularly given the strong ray tracing performance of NVIDIA's RTX 40 and the upcoming RTX 50 series cards. The success of the RX 9070 XT depends on how well it can differentiate itself through features like ray tracing while maintaining an attractive price-to-performance ratio in an increasingly competitive GPU market. We expect these scores not to be the final tale in the AMD RDNA 4 story, as we must wait and see what AMD delivers during CES. Third-party reviews and benchmarks will give the final verdict in the RDNA 4 market launch.

The battle of AI acceleration in the data center is, as most readers are aware, insanely competitive, with NVIDIA offering a top-tier software stack. However, AMD has tried in recent years to capture a part of the revenue that hyperscalers and OEMs are willing to spend with its Instinct MI300X accelerator lineup for AI and HPC. Despite having decent hardware, the company is not close to bridging the gap software-wise with its competitor, NVIDIA. According to the latest report from SemiAnalysis, a research and consultancy firm, they have run a five-month experiment using Instinct MI300X for training and benchmark runs. And the findings were surprising: even with better hardware, AMD's software stack, including ROCm, has massively degraded AMD's performance.

"When comparing NVIDIA's GPUs to AMD's MI300X, we found that the potential on paper advantage of the MI300X was not realized due to a lack within AMD public release software stack and the lack of testing from AMD," noted SemiAnalysis, breaking down arguments in the report further, adding that "AMD's software experience is riddled with bugs rendering out of the box training with AMD is impossible. We were hopeful that AMD could emerge as a strong competitor to NVIDIA in training workloads, but, as of today, this is unfortunately not the case. The CUDA moat has yet to be crossed by AMD due to AMD's weaker-than-expected software Quality Assurance (QA) culture and its challenging out-of-the-box experience."

Today marks the debut of the brand-new ASUS V16 (V3607), an entry-level 16-inch gaming laptop that broadens the appeal of the innovative ASUS laptop portfolio. Featuring futuristic uber-cool design details and unparalleled performance from its up to Intel Core 7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPU, ASUS V16 is built to win—or create—in distinctive style.

Its fast 16-inch 16:10 144 Hz FHD IPS display, with an impressive 89% screen-to-body ratio, ensures fluid gaming visuals, while Dirac audio technology and ASUS Audio Booster provide powerful and immersive sound. Offering an outstanding user experience, the laptop also includes a large touchpad and a comfortable ASUS ErgoSense keyboard, along with AI noise-cancelation technology and 3DNR for enhanced video conferencing.

Moore's Law is Dead, a prominent YouTube channel specializing in computer hardware leaks, has revealed its expectations for the RTX 50-series Laptop GPUs. We have already reported on a massive product listing leak shedding light on almost every single "Blackwell" laptop GPU, but needless to say, more information is always welcome. According to Moore's Law is Dead, the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, and this has been hinted at by the aforementioned prior leak, will only sport 16 GB of GDDR7 VRAM - the same as the RTX 5080 Laptop.

Moreover, his sources indicate that the RTX 5080 will drop with a 175-watt TGP and 7,680 CUDA cores, which is shockingly only a hair more than the 7,424 found in its predecessor. However, the source did state that the RTX 5080 will be around 40 to 60% faster than the RTX 4080, which is a massive generational leap in performance. It is not clear at this point how this number was arrived at, but it sure does seem rather utopian. Yet another source has also indicated that an RTX 5090 Laptop card with a whopping 24 GB of VRAM is also in the works which might launch down the line, but there is little else to be said about it. As MLID notes, NVIDIA has very little to no competition in the high-end laptop segment, which inevitably makes things worse for the end-user.

According to a recent investigative report, UK-based Imagination Technologies faces allegations of transferring sensitive GPU intellectual property to Chinese companies with potential military connections. The UK-China Transparency organization claims that following its 2020 acquisition by China-controlled investment firm Canyon Bridge, Imagination provided complete access to its GPU IP to Chinese entities with military connections. The report suggests this included sharing detailed architectural documentation typically reserved for premier clients like Apple. At the center of the controversy are Chinese firms Moore Threads and Biren Technology, which have emerged as significant players in China's AI and GPU sectors. The report indicates Moore Threads maintains connections with military GPU suppliers, while Biren Technology has received partial Russian investment.

The organization argues that Canyon Bridge, which has ties to the state-owned China Reform enterprise, helped these technological transfers to benefit China's military-industrial complex. Imagination Technologies has defended its actions, maintaining that all licensing agreements comply with industry standards. The allegations have sparked renewed debate about foreign ownership of strategic technology assets and the effectiveness of current export controls. When Canyon Bridge acquired Imagination in 2020, security experts raised concerns about potential military applications of the firm's technology. UKCT plans to release additional findings, including information from legal disputes involving Imagination's previous management. Rising concerns over technology transfers have prompted governments to reassess export controls and corporate oversight in the semiconductor industry, as nations struggle to balance international commerce with national security priorities. We are yet to see official government response to this situation.

VeriSilicon today announced the launch of its latest Vitality architecture Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) IP series, designed to deliver high-performance computing across a wide range of applications, including cloud gaming, AI PC, and both discrete and integrated graphics cards.

VeriSilicon's new generation Vitality GPU architecture delivers exceptional advancements in computational performance with scalability. It incorporates advanced features such as a configurable Tensor Core AI accelerator and a 32 MB to 64 MB Level 3 (L3) cache, offering both powerful processing power and superior energy efficiency. Additionally, the Vitality architecture supports up to 128 channels of cloud gaming per core, addressing the needs of high concurrency and high image quality cloud-based entertainment, while enabling large-scale desktop gaming and applications on Windows systems. With robust support for Microsoft DirectX 12 APIs and AI acceleration libraries, this architecture is ideally suited for a wide range of performance-intensive applications and complex computing workloads.

It's a tacitly known reality that Intel has not been having a great time lately. However, calling the company's recently announced Arc B580 gaming graphics card a smash hit would be a wild understatement. The company's previous major GPU launch, the Arc Alchemist, was riddled with mediocre reviews and received a lukewarm reception. The Arc B580, on the other hand, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews across the board, with many even hailing the GPU as a saving grace for the borderline deserted budget-class segment.

Keeping that in mind, it is no surprise that Intel's Arc B580 is getting sold out nearly everywhere, with the company barely managing to keep enough inventory. As revealed to popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips, Intel plans on having weekly restocks of its Arc B580 gaming GPU. We sure do look forward to that, considering that no one really likes a GPU, no matter how great, that can't be bought. The Arc B580 rocks a higher 12 GB of VRAM, a more affordable pricing, as well as arguably better performance than its primary competitors, the RTX 4060 and the RX 7600. Of course, with Blackwell and RDNA 4 around the corner, it sure does appear that the arena of the ultimate budget GPU is about to get heated once again.

According to Tweakers, AMD's Radeon RX 7900 GRE graphics card has reached end-of-life status, as confirmed by multiple AMD board partners they have contacted. The announcement comes just months after the card's expansion into European markets following its initial 2023 exclusive launch in China. Tweakers report that the supply of the RX 7900 GRE is rapidly declining across retail channels. While ASUS models remain somewhat available, the manufacturer has informed Tweakers that deliveries are currently "limited." AMD has not responded to their multiple requests for comment regarding the discontinuation. The RX 7900 GRE offers compelling specifications that position it as a slightly scaled-down variant of the more premium RX 7900 XT.

Built on AMD's RDNA 3 architecture, the card features 80 CUs and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and operates at a 260 W TDP. The timing of this discontinuation is particularly interesting as AMD prepares to unveil its next-generation RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 8000 series. Perhaps AMD is trying to flush out its remaining inventory to make room for its Radeon RX 8000 series GPUs, which should mainly target the middle-range of the next-generation GPU families, including competition like NVIDIA with "Blackwell" and Intel with "Battlemage." With the new card scheduled to appear during AMD's CES keynote on January 6 in Las Vegas, we have to wait and see what products AMD puts out before analyzing why AMD decided to EOL its Radeon RX 7900 GRE.

NVIDIA's RTX 5000 series GPU hardware has been leaked repeatedly in the weeks and months leading up to CES 2025, with previous leaks tipping significant updates for the RTX 5070 Ti in the VRAM department. Now, Inno3D is apparently hinting that the RTX 5000 series will also introduce updated machine learning and AI tools to NVIDIA's GPU line-up. An official CES 2025 teaser published by Inno3D, titled "Inno3D At CES 2025, See You In Las Vegas!" makes mention of potential updates to NVIDIA's AI acceleration suite for both gaming and productivity.

The Inno3D teaser specifically points out "Advanced DLSS Technology," "Enhanced Ray Tracing" with new RT cores, "better integration of AI in gaming and content creation," "AI-Enhanced Power Efficiency," AI-powered upscaling tech for content creators, and optimizations for generative AI tasks. All of this sounds like it builds off of previous NVIDIA technology, like RTX Video Super Resolution, although the mention of content creation suggests that it will be more capable than previous efforts, which were seemingly mostly consumer-focussed. Of course, improved RT cores in the new RTX 5000 GPUs is also expected, although it will seemingly be the first time NVIDIA will use AI to enhance power draw, suggesting that the CES announcement will come with new features for the NVIDIA App. The real standout feature, though, are called "Neural Rendering" and "Advanced DLSS," both of which are new nomenclatures. Of course, Advanced DLSS may simply be Inno3D marketing copy, but Neural Rendering suggests that NVIDIA will "Revolutionize how graphics are processed and displayed," which is about as vague as one could be.

NVIDIA is preparing to unveil its "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, featuring cutting-edge GDDR7 memory technology. However, RTX 5080 is expected to be equipped with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory running at an impressive 30 Gbps. Combined with a 256-bit memory bus, this configuration will deliver approximately 960 GB/s bandwidth—a 34% improvement over its predecessor, the RTX 4080, which operates at 716.8 GB/s. While the RTX 5080 will stand as the sole card in the lineup featuring 30 Gbps memory modules, while other models in the RTX 50 series will incorporate slightly slower 28 Gbps variants. This strategic differentiation is possibly due to the massive CUDA cores gap between the rumored RTX 5080 and RTX 5090.

The flagship RTX 5090 is set to push boundaries even further, implementing a wider 512-bit memory bus that could potentially achieve bandwidth exceeding 1.7 TB/s. NVIDIA appears to be reserving larger memory configurations of 16 GB+ exclusively for this top-tier model, at least until higher-capacity GDDR7 modules become available in the market. Despite these impressive specifications, the RTX 5080's bandwidth still falls approximately 5% short of the current RTX 4090, which benefits from a physically wider bus configuration. This performance gap between the 5080 and the anticipated 5090 suggests NVIDIA is maintaining a clear hierarchy within its product stack, and we have to wait for the final launch to conclude what, how, and why of the Blackwell gaming GPUs.

Framework, the company known for making consumer-friendly, repairable, upgradeable laptops, has officially announced the first expansion bay for the Framework 16, its AMD-powered gaming laptop. The new storage module, which slots into the Expansion Bay, has dual M.2 slots for up to 16 TB total additional storage for the Framework 16. Part of the idea behind the storage expansion seems to be turning what is essentially a gaming laptop into a capable workstation. Crucially, upgrading the storage with the expansion bay requires removing the discrete Radeon 7700s GPU, although the Framework 16 already has dual M.2 slots on the motherboard, so this expansion isn't really intended for gamers, anyway.

One of the major selling points for the Framework 16 was that it offered PCIe expansion via a modular interface, and this is Framework's first real foray into expanding that ecosystem for its largest laptop. In addition to the storage expansion, Framework also announced a new Mystery Box system for its US and Canada Outlets to offload spare parts, like returned modules and components that it doesn't want to relegate to the e-waste pile but also cannot financially justify sorting through and refurbishing. These Mystery Boxes each contain at least three items and come with a warning that reads "Note that these don't come with a warranty and are non-returnable, so only get it if you want random scrap to play with!"

It's an open secret by now that NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5000 series GPUs are on the way, with an early 2025 launch on the cards. Now, preliminary details about the RTX 5070 Ti have leaked, revealing an increase in both VRAM and TDP and suggesting that the new upper mid-range GPU will finally address the increased VRAM demand from modern games. According to the leak from Wccftech, the RTX 5070 Ti will have 16 GB of GDDR7 VRAM, up from 12 GB on the RTX 4070 Ti, as we previously speculated. Also confirming previous leaks, the new sources confirm that the 5070 Ti will use the cut-down GB203 chip, although the new leak points to a significantly higher TBP of 350 W. The new memory configuration will supposedly run on a 256-bit memory bus and run at 28 Gbps for a total memory bandwidth of 896 GB/s, which is a significant boost over the RTX 4070 Ti.

Supposedly, the RTX 5070 Ti will also see a bump in total CUDA cores, from 7680 in the RTX 4070 Ti to 8960 in the RTX 5070 Ti. The new RTX 5070 Ti will also switch to the 12V-2x6 power connector, compared to the 16-pin connector from the 4070 Ti. NVIDIA is expected to announce the RTX 5000 series graphics cards at CES 2025 in early January, but the RTX 5070 Ti will supposedly be the third card in the 5000-series launch cycle. That said, leaks suggest that the 5070 Ti will still launch in Q1 2025, meaning we may see an indication of specs at CES 2025, although pricing is still unclear.

Update Dec 16th: Kopite7kimi, ubiquitous hardware leaker, has since responded to the RTX 5070 Ti leaks, stating that 350 W may be on the higher end for the RTX 5070 Ti: "...the latest data shows 285W. However, 350W is also one of the configs." This could mean that a TBP of 350 W is possible, although maybe only on certain graphics card models, if competition is strong, or in certain boost scenarios.

Intel's ambitious plan to challenge AMD and NVIDIA in the AI accelerator market may still be a little questionable, according to recent comments from interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus at the Barclays 22nd Annual Global Technology Conference. The company's "Falcon Shores" project, which aims to merge Gaudi AI capabilities with Intel's data center GPU technology for HPC workloads, received surprising commentary from Holthaus. "We really need to think about how we go from Gaudi to our first generation of Falcon Shores, which is a GPU," she stated, before acknowledging potential limitations. "And I'll tell you right now, is it going to be wonderful? No, but it is a good first step."

Intel's pragmatic approach to AI hardware development was further highlighted when Holthaus addressed the company's product strategy. Rather than completely overhauling their development pipeline, she emphasized the value of iterative progress: "If you just stop everything and you go back to doing like all new product, products take a really long time to come to market. And so, you know, you're two years to three years out from having something." The co-CEO advocated for a more agile approach, stating, "I'd rather have something that I can do in smaller volume, learn, iterate, and get better so that we can get there." She acknowledged the enduring nature of AI market opportunities, particularly noting the current focus on training while highlighting the potential in other areas: "Obviously, AI is not going away. Obviously training is, you know, the focus today, but there's inference opportunities in other places where there will be different needs from a hardware perspective."