LG Electronics (LG) is set to unveil its 2025 LG gram lineup, the company's first on-device AI-powered laptops, at CES 2025 in January. The new lineup includes innovative models such as the gram Pro, gram Pro 2-in-1, gram and gram Book. Leveraging LG's gram AI technology, the latest grams deliver state-of-the-art capabilities and stellar performance, harnessing large language models and personalized AI features to elevate the user experience - all while preserving the series' iconic slim and lightweight design.

Enhancing Productivity and Personalization with LG gram AI
The 2025 gram laptops present a smarter, more secure and highly-personalized user experience through LG's innovative gram AI. With gram chat On-Device, these laptops utilize AI algorithms to process and analyze data locally without requiring a network connection. At the same time, they provide convenient access to cloud-based AI services via gram chat Cloud, powered by GPT-4o. This subscription-based service, which uses GPT-4o, is offered free of charge for the first year. The integration of on-device and cloud-based AI creates a hybrid AI solution that enhances productivity by delivering personalized insights, a comprehensive knowledge base and an intuitive, ever-evolving experience that adapts to users' needs.

"Twin Lake" is codename for a line of low-power x86-64 processors by Intel, which succeed the Core i3 N-series and N200 series "Alder Lake-N" processors. These non-socketed (BGA) chips power a wide range of devices from entry level notebooks and mini PCs to consumer NAS servers, and other embedded applications. The chips feature only E-cores. While "Alder Lake-N" used "Gracemont" cores, "Twin Lake" uses the swanky new "Skymont" cores, which serve as E-cores in "Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake" hybrid processors. "Skymont" cores feature massive IPC and clock-speed gains over "Gracemont," of nearly 50%, which pulls up their performance levels to match the "Golden Cove" and "Raptor Cove" P-cores of "Alder Lake" and "Raptor Lake," although these cores can't boost up to 5.00 GHz. We got the first name-drop of "Twin Lake" way back in May 2024. Jaykihn leaked what the processor lineup could look like.

The "Twin Lake" silicon features two "Skymont" E-core clusters sharing an L3 cache. At this point, the sizes of the shared L2 caches of the E-core clusters, and the size of the shared L3 cache are not known. On "Alder Lake-N," each "Gracemont" cluster features 2 MB of L2 cache, and the two clusters share a 6 MB L3 cache. The silicon also features an iGPU based on what is very likely the Xe-LPG graphics architecture, with four Xe cores worth 32 execution units (EU). The series is led by the Intel N355. This chip maxes out the "Twin Lake" silicon, enabling both "Skymont" clusters, for an 8-core/8-thread CPU configuration. The CPU comes with a base frequency of 3.00 GHz, and boosts up to 3.90 GHz. The chip comes with a configurable TDP of 9 W and 15 W. It comes with a maxed out iGPU, with all 32 EU being enabled, and a graphics frequency of 1.35 GHz.

Intel could be working on a new Arc graphics card according to Quantum Bits quoted by VideoCardz. It's based on the Battlemage architecture and has 24 GB of memory, twice as much as current models. This new card seems to be oriented more towards professionals, not gamers. Intel's Battlemage lineup currently has the Arc B580 model with 12 GB GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit bus. There's also the upcoming B570 with 10 GB and a 160-bit bus. The new 24 GB model will use the same BGM-G21 GPU as the B580, while the increased VRAM version could use higher capacity memory modules or a dual-sided module setup. No further technical details are available at this moment.

Intel looks to be aiming this 24 GB version at professional tasks such as artificial intelligence jobs like Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI. The card would be useful in data centers, edge computing, schools, and research, and this makes sense for Intel as they don't have a high-memory GPU for professional productivity markets yet. The company wants to launch this Arc Battlemage with bigger memory in 2025, we guess it might be announced in late spring or ahead of next year's Computex if there's no rush. Intel in the meantime will keep making their current gaming cards too as the latest Arc series was very well received, a big win for Intel after all the struggles. This rumor hints that Intel's expanding its GPU plan rather than letting it fade away, that was a gray scenario before the launch of Battlemage. Now it seems they want to compete in the professional and AI acceleration markets as well.

In the first week of the 2025 International CES, Intel and AMD are expected to expand their desktop processor product stacks, with the introduction of 65 W models; and with them, more affordable motherboard chipset models. AMD is expected to launch the AMD B850 and AMD B840; while Intel debuts the Intel B860 and H810. Board Channels, a site that tracks hardware launches at the retail channel level, says that AMD is expected to set January 15 as the market availability date for motherboards based on the AMD B850 and B840. The chipset will be announced at AMD's January 7th event.

Meanwhile, Intel is expected to announce its mid-range Intel B860 and entry-level Intel H810 on its own event slated for January 7, but with product availability on January 13. The AMD B850 is essentially a rebadged B650, but motherboard vendors can optionally enable Gen 5 PEG instead of Gen 4, at which point the platform would essentially be an AMD X870, but without the mandatory discrete USB4 host controller. The AMD B850 supports CPU overclocking. The AMD B840 lacks this, and is functionally similar to the AMD B550 chipset from the Socket AM4 platform, except that it lacks CPU overclocking support. Meanwhile, the Intel B860 is expected to feature a similar I/O as the Intel B760 from the Socket LGA1700 platform. The H810 is expected to be a lean entry-level option. Both the Intel B860 and H810 are expected to lack CPU overclocking support, but the B860 probably retains memory overclocking capability.

GMKtec, a global leader in mini PC solutions, is excited to announce the launch of two new mini PC models: the NucBox G2 Plus and NucBox G3 Plus. Both models are powered by the efficient Intel N150 processor, offering excellent performance for everyday computing tasks, from home offices to media centers. These ultra-compact systems are available in different variants to meet varying user needs and budgets. Whether you're a professional, student, or casual user, the NucBox G2 Plus and G3 Plus provide a customizable and cost-effective computing experience.

The NucBox G2 Plus and NucBox G3 Plus are available now on both gmktec.com and gmktec.eu, with pricing starting from $125.99 for the barebone option. With customizable configurations, users can tailor each system to their specific needs, from memory and storage to the operating system.

Here are some of the first pictures of ASRock's upcoming Live Mixer series motherboards based on mid-range chipsets from AMD and Intel. The Live Mixer brand of motherboards has a similar positioning in ASRock's product stack as Steel Legend, but with a variation in product design, and a mid-range onboard audio solution that uses audio codecs such as the ALC1200 or ALC4080. There's nothing that particularly stands out in this audio solution (no fancy amp circuits or exotic I/O). The B850 Live Mixer Wi-Fi is an ATX board based on the AMD B850 chipset. This is essentially a re-brand of the popular B650, but with out-of-the-box support for the latest Ryzen 9000 series processors, including the 9000X3D series. The board offers three M.2 NVMe slots, one of which is Gen 5, and the others Gen 4. The WLAN solution is very likely Wi-Fi 6E.

Next up, is the ASRock B860 Live Mixer Wi-Fi. This Socket LGA1851 motherboard is based on Intel's mid-range chipset for its "Arrow Lake" processors, the Intel B860. Much like the previous generation B760, it is expected to lack CPU overclocking support. This board visually looks a lot similar to its AMD B850-based sibling, you could almost confuse the two if you're not looking at the CPU socket. You get three M.2 NVMe slots here, too; one of which is Gen 5, and doesn't eat into the x16 PEG slot. We expect this board to offer Wi-Fi 6E, just like the B850 Live Mixer Wi-Fi. Lastly, there's the B860M Live Mixer Wi-Fi, a Micro-ATX variant of this board, with mostly the same feature-set, it's just that the third M.2 slot is without a heatsink; and the second PCIe slot is physically x8 instead of x16, which shouldn't matter since the slot is likely electrical x4 on both motherboard models. Intel and AMD are expected to debut the B850 and B860 in January.

Intel has officially announced its presence at CES 2025, teasing what appears to be a significant focus on AI capabilities in its upcoming processor lineup. The tech giant shared a preview image featuring their tagline "AI Inside for a New Era." The announcement suggests that the company will be showcasing new developments in AI processing capabilities integrated directly into their consumer processors. Intel's upcoming lineup is expected to feature the mobile-focused "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200H/HX processors alongside the Arrow Lake-based Core Ultra 200S series designed for desktop systems with 35 W and 65 W power configurations. The company is also supposedly introducing new mid-range and workstation-class 800-series processors for desktop platforms.

The "AI Inside" messaging indicates that Intel is positioning itself to compete more aggressively in the AI computing space, particularly as PCs increasingly handle AI workloads locally. While specific details about the presentation remain under wraps, we can anticipate announcements regarding new Arrow Lake configurations, enhanced AI capabilities, and possibly new partnerships or software ecosystems designed to leverage these features. The keynote could also shed light on Intel's strategy for maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly AI-focused computing landscape. Michelle Johnston Holthaus, interim co-CEO, and Jack Weast, an Intel Fellow and VP of Intel Automotive, will deliver the live keynote. Intel's agenda also shows next-generation AI silicon so we can get information on accelerators like Falcon Shores.

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.

Intel Arc board partner MAXSUN earlier this month announced that it is working on an Arc B580 custom-design graphics card with two M.2 Gen 4 NVMe slots on the card, so you can utilize the unused 8 lanes from the x16 PEG slot to connect a pair of SSDs, since the B580 makes do with a PCIe Gen 4 x8 host interface. In the previous report, we were shown renders of what the card could look like—with two M.2 slots sticking out from the tail of the PCB, with an aluminium heatsink that cools the SSDs under airflow from the second- and third fans. We now have the first picture of this PCB in the flesh.

A Tom's Hardware report reveals the first picture of this contraption, thanks to a leak on Chinese social media. The picture reveals what looks like an 18 cm-long PCB, with two M.2 Gen 4 slots at the tail end. One can make out PCIe interface traces making their way from the x16 PEG interface to the M.2 slots. You can make out the key components of the card, including the "BMG-G21" ASIC, wired to six GDDR6 memory chips, and a 6-phase VRM. The card draws power from two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The second 8-pin connector might prove useful in managing the card's power budget, given that the B580 comes with a power limit of 190 W, and the M.2 Gen 4 SSDs each have a peak power draw of around 10 W. This wouldn't be the first time someone decided to put M.2 slots on graphics cards; the ASUS DUAL GeForce RTX 4060 Ti SSD OC introduced this concept, but with just one M.2 slot.

Intel today released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.6253 Beta comes with a handful immediate fixes that some of the first adopters of the Arc B580 should find relevant. To begin with, flickering or display corruption noticed in some scenes of "The Crew: Motorfest" have been fixed. A crash-to-desktop at launch with "Saleco" has been fixed. Stuttering during gameplay of "Elden Ring" has been fixed. A launch CTD with "Homeworld 3" has been fixed. Stuttering during gameplay with ray tracing set to high for "F1 24" has been fixed. The company also identified several new issues with Arc B-series graphics cards.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6253 Beta

Here are some of the first pictures of the retail boxes of the Intel Core Ultra 200-series "Arrow Lake-S" 65 W desktop processors. Intel debuted the series with Unlocked K-series SKUs in October 2024, and will expand it in January 2025 with 65 W models that lack unlocked multipliers. The unlocked models lack any included stock cooling solution, while the 65 W models come with them. There's no word on what the coolers look like, but if we were to guess, Intel will reuse its Laminar series fan-heatsinks that it debuted with its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake."

The new Socket LGA1851 retains cooler compatibility with the previous LGA1700, which is why the company could reuse the Laminar series. The Core Ultra 9 65 W retail box appears the largest, and so it could include the Laminar RH1 cooler that's capable of cooling the processor as it draws its maximum turbo power. This cooler comes with some blue LED illumination. The Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 5 65 W retail boxes appear to have the same thickness, which means the two could include the mid-tier Laminar RM1 cooler. The RM1 has a slightly thinner heatsink, but comes with an illuminated ring along the bore of the fan-frame. If Intel launches a Core Ultra 3 series (successor to the Core i3), Intel will likely include the Laminar RS1, the lightest variant, which lacks any lighting. The first three pictures (below) show boxes of the standard variants of the 65 W SKUs, the 4th and 5th pics show the boxes of the "F" SKUs which lack integrated graphics.

Motherboard vendor ASUS began rolling out UEFI firmware (BIOS) updates to its Intel Z890 motherboards that contain Intel's 0x114 Microcode update for Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors. The new microcode was touted as bringing in performance gains to gaming workloads across the board, with Intel saying that depending on the configuration, one could expect a "roughly 3-8% performance gain." The company said that motherboard vendors should begin releasing BIOS updates with 0x114 "starting January 2025," however, it seems like ASUS is ready with public "stable" (non-beta) BIOS updates with it. We use a ROG Maximus Z890 Hero in our "Arrow Lake-S" reviews, and so promptly grabbed the version 1203 BIOS from the ASUS website, and put it to the test. This also updates Intel ME (management engine) to v19.0.0.1827.

We added our performance testing numbers to our article from yesterday (December 19, 2024), where we had tested the Core Ultra 9 285K with the latest OS-level patches for Windows 11 24H2. Long story short, we do not notice any notable performance gains with the 0x114 microcode update. 0x114 was touted as providing users with additional performance gains after all the OS- and BIOS configuration related issues had been fixed. In its pre-brief from earlier this week, Intel said that the 0x114 microcode update represented additional performance gain opportunities that the company had discovered in the process of identifying and fixing the reasons why the processors fell significantly behind Intel's performance guidance in their launch reviews in October.

We recommend you to once again read our performance testing article from yesterday, we have updated the performance graphs with 0x114 microcode update numbers, and are in the process of providing additional commentary in the article. Here's a teaser:

Intel has announced it will not proceed with X86S, an experimental instruction set architecture that aims to simplify its processor design by removing legacy support for older 32-bit and 16-bit operating modes. The decision comes after gathering feedback from the technology ecosystem on a draft specification that was released for evaluation. The x86, and its 64-bit x86-64 we use today, is a giant cluster of specifications that contains so many instructions rarely anyone can say with precision how many are there. All of this stems from the era of original 8086 processor, which has its own 16-bit instructions. Later on we transitioned to 32, then 64-bit systems with all have brought their own specific instructions. Adding support for processing of vector, matrix, and other data types has increased the ISA specification so much that no one outside a few select engineers at Intel (and AMD) understands in full. From that x86S idea was born to solve the issue of supporting legacy systems and legacy code, and moving on to the x86S ISA, where "S" stands for simplified.

The X86S proposal included several notable modifications, such as eliminating support for rings 1 and 2 in the processor's protection model, removing 16-bit addressing capabilities, and discontinuing legacy interrupt controller support. These changes would have potentially reduced hardware complexity and modernized the platform's architecture. A key feature of the proposed design was a simplified boot process that would have allowed processors to start directly in 64-bit mode, eliminating the current requirement for systems to boot through various legacy modes before reaching 64-bit operation. The architecture also promised improvements in handling modern features like 5-level paging. "Intel will continue to maintain its longstanding commitment to software compatibility," the company stated in the official document on its website, acknowledging that the x86S dream is over.

GEEKOM, a Taiwanese tech company famous for making high quality mini PCs, is heading to CES for the second consecutive year in 2025 with an exciting lineup of new products. Known as the Green Mini PC Global Leader, GEEKOM always focuses on improving the quality and reliability of its products, and it also spares no effort in cutting down carbon emissions and making the world a greener place.

Among the many mini PCs that GEEKOM plans to put on show at CES 2025, there are many industry firsts. The GEEKOM QS1, for instance, is the world's first mini PC powered by a Qualcomm chipset. The tiny computer sports an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X1E-80-100 processor with twelve 4.0 GHz Oryon CPU cores, a 3.8 TFLOPS Adreno X1-85 GPU and a 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU. It is smart and fast enough to breeze through all of your daily home and office computing chores, yet energy-efficient enough to significantly cut down your electric bill.

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.

Intel today, in a letter to the press, presented an overview of the lower than expected performance of its latest Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors, which the company released this October, to less than enthusiastic reviews. The top Core Ultra 9 285K ended up barely faster than the previous Core i9-14900K in gaming performance, and moderately faster in applications. AMD's November release of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D extended the green team's lead over Intel, prompting Intel to get to work on identifying why "Arrow Lake-S" isn't as fast as the company hoped, and if there was something the company could do about it.

Last month, Intel announced that it had identified probable reasons why "Arrow Lake-S" underperforms and that it is working on a combination of fixes that include OS-level updates from Microsoft, some motherboard-vendor level fixes to their UEFI setup programs, and a microcode update for its processors. Intel's microcode updates have been in the news throughout 2024, as one such update proved crucial in fixing the faulty voltage regulation behavior of its Core "Raptor Lake" processors, which was causing irreversible damage to the chips. Today, the company released documentation that highlights all issues the company identified by Intel, their technical root cause, and what's been done about it. Long story short—most of these issues are already addressed, but the Microcode update should be in circulation by January 2025, when the company expands its Core Ultra 200-series desktop processors with 65 W models.

Update Dec 19th: We tested the new OS patches, and unfortunately we have to report that this not a general fix for Arrow Lake, but just a fix for performance problems specific to 24H2. More in our article.

Update Dec 20th: Last night, ASUS released a non-Beta BIOS with microcode 0x114, we tested it and the findings are included in the Dec 19 article linked above.

In Win Development Inc. (InWin), a leading innovator in PC enthusiast and gaming hardware, had introduced its new AR36 (360 mm) AIO liquid cooler featuring an "infinity Mirror" design, compatible with both AMD and Intel platforms.

Infinity Mirror Block
The ARGB-infused CPU block features an infinity mirror design on the front, showcasing radiant light reflections that create an infinite, vibrant, and colorful glow from every angle. Inside, high-density microchannel fins in the copper baseplate efficiently draw heat away from even the hottest processors, minimizing the temperature delta to unlock maximum headroom for sustained thermal boost clock speeds. The pump is equipped with a three-phase, six-pole motor, ensuring consistently high performance with reduced noise during operation.

The Intel 8080. It didn't revolutionize microprocessors - it created the microprocessor market. "The 4004 and 8008 suggested it, but the 8080 made it real," said Federico Faggin, Intel's lead designer for the 8080 and its predecessor processors, the 4004 and 8008. Prior to the 8080's launch in 1974, Intel mostly made chips designed for specific types of customers and their needs. And though the 4004 and 8008 were later used in applications beyond their original use cases, general use was not the original design goal. The 4004, for example, was originally designed for Busicom's 141-PF printing calculator, and the 8008 for Computer Terminal Corporation's Datapoint 2200 programmable terminal.

Faggin designed the 8080 in direct response to feedback from 8008 customers who reported the earlier chip's design restricted the scale and complexity of the software they wanted to create. The resulting new 8-bit chip was more efficient, more powerful and more flexible - capable of 290,000 operations per second (10 times that of the 8008). And with a 40-pin configuration, it made connecting to other components easier than the 8008's 18-pin design. The 8080 also integrated the functions of the supporting chips that the 4004 and 8008 needed, making it a true single-chip microprocessor.

In addition to the previously unveiled Arc B580 ROC Luna OC Ultra graphics card and low-profile Arc B570 graphics card, it appears that Sparkle will have quite a few other Intel Arc Battlemage graphics cards soon, including an all-white Arc B570 Guardian LUNA and the B580 TITAN Luna graphics card.

Earlier pictured by Videocardz.com, the Arc B580 TITAN Luna is a high-end version with triple-fan design, which swaps the Sparkle's blue design with a white shroud, white PCB and white backplate. The only thing that did not get painted, and it is quite a shame, is the I/O bracket. The Arc B580 TITAN Luna is expected to be pretty much the same as the standard version, featuring a slight factory overclock to 2740 MHz.

In an interesting exchange about product stance between Intel's interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus and Qualcomm, both have offered conflicting statements about the market performance of Arm-based PCs. The dispute centers on customer satisfaction and return rates for PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors. During the Barclays 22nd Annual Global Technology Conference, Holthaus claimed that retailers are experiencing high return rates for Arm PCs, mainly citing software compatibility issues. According to her, customers are finding that typical applications don't work as expected on these devices. "I mean, if you look at the return rate for Arm PCs, you go talk to any retailer, their number one concern is, wow, I get a large percentage of these back. Because you go to set them up, and the things that we just expect don't work," said Holthaus.

"Our devices continue to have greater than 4+ stars across consumer reviews and our products have received numerous accolades across the industry including awards from Fast Company, TechRadar, and many consumer publications. Our device return rates are within industry norm," said Qualcomm representative for CRN. Qualcomm projects that up to 50% of laptops will transition to non-x86 platforms within five years, signaling their confidence in Arm-based solutions. While software compatibility remains a challenge for Arm PCs, with not all Windows applications fully supported, Qualcomm and Microsoft have implemented an emulation layer to address these limitations. Holthaus acknowledged that Apple's successful transition to Arm-based processors has helped pave the way for broader Arm adoption in the PC market. "Apple did a lot of that heavy lift for Arm to make that ubiquitous with their iOS and their whole walled garden stack. So I'm not going to say Arm will get more, I'm sure, than it gets today. But there are certainly, I think, some real barriers to getting there," noted Holthaus.

Dynabook has introduced the Protégé X30W powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 165H processor. At first glance, that hardly seems impressive, but a closer look at the device reveals that the laptop weighs a feather-light 989 grams, or roughly 2.2 lbs. The device is also a convertible, which means that the hinge allows for 360° rotation, effectively converting the laptop into a tablet.

Apart from its lightweight design, there is little else about the laptop that is worth noting. The highest-end variant sports a Core Ultra 7 165H, which is a plenty-powerful chip, featuring 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores for a total of 14 cores and 22 threads, since the Crestmont cores do not support Hyper-Threading. An 8-core Arc iGPU handles the graphics, and delivers decent performance that nearly matches the RTX 2050 Mobile in certain cases. The system features up to 32 GB of DDR5-5200 memory, and up to a 2 TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD.

Cable Matters Inc., a leading connectivity solutions provider, has announced the launch of its Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station, setting an important benchmark for speed, simplicity, and reliability, and offering unmatched performance for modern professionals, gamers, and content creators.

Utilizing Thunderbolt 5 technology, the docking station offers up to 120 Gbps of bandwidth-three times more than Thunderbolt 4-enabling ultra-fast data transfers and superior display experiences. It features an upstream Thunderbolt 5 port compatible with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 5, and USB4 based hosts, and three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports for versatile connections to monitors, SSDs, and other devices. The downstream ports support up to three 8K@60 Hz monitors or two 8K@120 Hz displays for enhanced visual clarity, gameplay, and multitasking.

During Barclays 22nd Annual Global Technology Conference, Intel was a guest and two of the interim company co-CEOs Michelle Johnston Holthaus and David Zinsner gave a little update on the state of affairs at Intel. One of the most interesting aspects of the talk was Intel's upcoming "Panther Lake" processor—a direct successor to Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake-H" mobile processors. The company confirmed that Panther Lake would utilize an Intel 18A node and that a few select customers have powered on Panther Lake on the E0 engineering sample chip. "Now we are using Intel Foundry for Panther Lake, which is our 2025 product, which will land on 18A. And this is the first time that we're customer zero in a long time on an Intel process," said interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus, adding, "But just to give some assurances, on Panther Lake, we have our ES0 samples out with customers. We have eight customers that have powered on, which gives you just kind of an idea that the health of the silicon is good and the health of the Foundry is good."

While we don't know what ES0 means for Intel internally, we can assume that it is one of the first engineering samples on the 18A. The "ES" moniker usually refers to engineering samples, and zero after it could be the first design iteration. For reference, Intel's "Panther Lake-H" will reportedly have up to 18 cores: 6 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 4 LP cores. The design brings back low-power island E-cores in the SoC tile. The P-cores use "Cougar Cove," which should have a higher IPC than "Lion Cove," while keeping the existing "Skymont" E-cores. The SoC tile may move from Arrow Lake's 6 nm to a newer process to fit the LP cores and an updated NPU. The iGPU is said to use the Xe3 "Celestial" architecture. With Arrow Lake-H launching in early 2025, Panther Lake-H likely won't arrive until 2026.

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a leading manufacturer of embedded computing solutions, introduces the IB996 Full-Size CPU Card, tailored to meet the demanding needs of industrial and embedded computing. Supporting 14th, 13th, and 12th Gen Intel Core i9/i7/i5/i3 desktop processors, this innovative solution adheres to the PICMG 1.3 standard and features the Intel Q670E chipset for robust performance and flexibility. It offers outstanding expandability and connectivity for applications in industrial automation, transportation, and medical systems.

The IB996 boasts seamless performance and compatibility, supporting up to 64 GB of DDR5 memory with dual DIMM slots and superior networking capability with two Intel 2.5G LAN ports. Integrated Intel Xe graphics allow for versatile display options, including DVI-I, LVDS, and DVI-D, making it suitable for a variety of visual data processing tasks. Additionally, it comes equipped with 8x USB 3.2, 5x SATA III, four COM, and two M.2 sockets (M-Key and E-Key), with the M.2 M-Key supporting PCIe for NVMe storage solutions, ensuring high-speed data transfer and optimal performance across Intel-based systems.

In addition to the TITAN and GUARDIAN SKUs announced earlier this month, Sparkle is working on several other SKUs. The roadmap includes the low-profile version of the Arc B570, as well as the Arc B580 ROC OC Ultra, which is expected to come with a 2,800 MHz GPU factory overclock and 210 W TBP, both coming next year.

According to the roadmap, Sparkle plans to release the B580 ROC OC Ultra version in February 2025, and this one will be a part of Sparkle's ROC Luna series, featuring an all-white design. As said, it gets a 2,800 MHz GPU factory-overclock, which is 60 MHz higher than the Sparkle Arc B580 TITAN OC. It also has a slightly higher 210 W TBP. Sparkle included a small picture showing a 2.5-slot thick design with a dual-fan cooler. Additional roadmap also confirms the launch of the Arc B570 Low-Profile version, which will feature a lower 170 W TBP and a three-fan cooler, similar to what we have seen from GUNNIR lately.