EK, the leading computer cooling solutions provider, is rolling out a brand-new water block built from the ground up for the LGA 1700 socket, explicitly designed for delidded Intel Core CPUs. It bears improvements that benefit 14th-generation CPUs and shares almost no parts with the previously released Intel Direct Die water block. It includes a purpose-developed cold plate, cooling fin structure, and mounting mechanism. It relies on standoffs positioned at the four corners of the water block to ensure optimal contact with the CPU, eliminating concerns about applying too much or too little pressure on the bare CPU die, just like the AM5 Direct Die water block. EK's latest water block features EK-Matrix7 compatibility, meaning the product's height and port distance are managed in 7 mm increments for easier loop planning and precise results.

EK-Quantum Velocity² Direct Die D-RGB - 1700 Core Edition
This new direct die LGA 1700 water block is built from scratch and made to squeeze every bit of performance out of the 14th-generation Intel Core CPUs. The top is seethrough glass-like acrylic, with rich D-RGB illumination behind the window, which is riddled with aluminium bars going over the top and two G1/4" extenders that interrupt the flow of the black-anodized aluminium bars. These G1/4" extenders are standard Torque micro extenders. They can be replaced by other products from the EK-Quantum Torque Micro series, be it extenders of different finish, HDP or HDC fittings.

Minisforum consistently impressed us with its bold small footprint computing solutions over the years, and they've taken things a level up this Computex. Imagine a docking station on which you installed a graphics card like you'd slot in an NES cartridge. That's the Minisforum DEG1 OCulink graphics docking station. The dock resembles an 8-bit era Atari. You install a graphics card vertically on its PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slot (electrical Gen 4 x4), and connect 12 V power from the dock to the card (12V-2x6 and 3x 8-pin supported). The dock connects to the host machine over Oculink (Gen 4 x4).

The R3GAF is a pre-built external GPU based on the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT. It connects to the host over Oculink, and uses an internap power supply to drive the card, with a configured power limit of 120 W. Besides the GPU's connectivity, the dock puts out a trio pf 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. Next up, is a Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps) dock that puts out two downstream Thunderbolt ports, a handful USB-C ports, an internal M.2 slot, card reader, and DisplayPort output demuxed from the Thunderbolt uplink.

We've seen a lot of motherboards with the power, SATA and USB connectors on the rear at Computex this year, but Chinese Maxsun decided to put the PCIe x16 slot on the back of its Mini-ITX MS-Terminator B760BKB D5 motherboard. This might seem like a crazy move, but with the right chassis, this means that the graphics card won't need a PCIe extension cable, while fitting in a compact chassis. It's also become increasingly hard to retain signal integrity over ribbon cables and with PCIe 5.0, it might be impossible. Another added benefit of this design is that the board also has a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot available for something like a 10 Gbps network card or just about anything else you'd want to plug into a compact PC.

The overall board specs don't really stick out from the crowd, as the Intel B760 chips is a somewhat limiting factor as well. In addition to the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and the PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, the board also has a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots—one on each side of the PCB—and a slim SAS connector using an SFF-8654 connector. In addition to this, the board also has two DDR5 DIMM slots, four SATA ports, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, a DP 1.2, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB Type-C port of unknown speed and WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The power design consists of a fairly basic 8+1+1 phase setup. We'd like to see this board design to become a standard, as it makes a lot of sense for the SFF market to allow for a better placement of the PCI x16 slot to allow for a more compact chassis without having to compromise on the choice of graphics card.

In addition to the new PC cases and PSUs, ENERMAX also unveiled a couple of new and interesting AIO CPU coolers and fans at the Computex 2024 show, including the LIQTECH XTR AiO which can handle quite a high thermal load, the new AQUACore concept, which is actually a compact CPU cooler that integrates the pump and the radiator into a compact solution, and new Montage Flow fans with magnetic daisy-chaining.

The one that piqued our interest is definitely the LIQTECH XTR AIO liquid CPU cooler series, which can handle some impressive thermal loads. To be available in 240 mm, 280 mm, and 360 mm radiator sizes, the LIQTECH XTR can easily AMD Threadripper and Intel Xeon processors, offering 100 percent coverage and uses a powerful EF1 pump in combination with patented shunt-channel technology. According to Enermax and what we saw at the show, the smaller 240 mm can handle well over 500 W of thermal load, while the 360 mm one goes well over 900 W. The LIQTECH XTR also includes a digital built-in display on the pump/block unit, which shows CPU and GPU temperature, or fan RPM data.

At Computex 2024, Colorful has introduced a new PC series of premium componentry for games, called iGame Ultra Series. Carrying a premium white aesthetics, the Ultra Series serves as clean and elegant component for PC builds. At the heart of the Ultra Series is the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER graphics card. The card has a triple-fan cooling solution with vapor chamber technology that keeps temperatures under control. Powering this GPU is the iGame Z790D5 Ultra motherboard. Supporting the latest Intel 14th Gen CPUs and up to 192 GB of DDR5-7800 RAM. An array of ultra-fast PCIe 5.0 and 4.0 M.2 slots allow multiple high-speed SSDs for ridiculous storage performance. Keeping all of these elite components running is the 850 W iGame P850G Ultra W 80 Plus Gold power supply. Its modular design with dedicated PCIe 5.0 connectors ensures clean cable management and stable power delivery. For cooling the CPU, there is the iGame LQ360 Ultra W all-in-one liquid cooler, which sports a massive 360 mm radiator and a trio of high-static pressure fans. All of these premium components are housed in the iGame C23A Ultra W full-tower chassis. With a spacious dual-compartment layout, front USB-C port, and preinstalled vertical GPU bracket, it offers both incredible expandability and sleek aesthetics.

Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) and Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced a definitive agreement under which Apollo-managed funds and affiliates will lead an investment of $11 billion to acquire from Intel a 49% equity interest in a joint venture entity related to Intel's Fab 34. The transaction represents Intel's second Semiconductor Co-Investment Program (SCIP) arrangement. SCIP is an element of Intel's Smart Capital strategy, a funding approach designed to create financial flexibility to accelerate the company's strategy, including investing in its global manufacturing operations, while maintaining a strong balance sheet.

Located in Leixlip, Ireland, Fab 34 is Intel's leading-edge high-volume manufacturing (HVM) facility designed for wafers using the Intel 4 and Intel 3 process technologies. To date, Intel has invested $18.4 billion in Fab 34. This transaction allows Intel to unlock and redeploy to other parts of its business a portion of this investment while continuing the build-out of Fab 34. As part of its transformation strategy, Intel has committed billions of dollars of investments to regaining process leadership and building out leading-edge wafer fabrication and advanced packaging capacity globally.

The subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings Corp, MiTAC Computing Technology and its server brand TYAN, the leading manufacturer in server platform design worldwide, unveil their new server systems and motherboards optimized for today's AI, HPC, cloud, and enterprise workloads at COMPUTEX 2024, Booth # M1120 in Taipei, Taiwan from June 4 to June 7. Harnessing the power of the latest Intel Xeon 6 processor and 4th and 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, these solutions deliver cutting-edge performance.

"For over a decade, MiTAC has worked with Intel at the forefront of server technology innovation, consistently delivering cutting-edge solutions tailored for AI and high-performance computing (HPC). The integration of Intel's latest Xeon 6 processors into our MiTAC and TYAN server platforms transforms computational capabilities, significantly enhancing AI performance, boosting efficiency, and scaling cloud operations. These advancements empower our customers with a competitive edge through superior performance and optimized total cost of ownership," said Rick Hwang, President of MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation.

MSI, a leading brand in gaming, content creation, and business & productivity laptops, proudly announces the launch of several next-gen AI+ gaming and business productivity laptops featuring the latest Intel and AMD processors at COMPUTEX 2024. These laptops offer more than 100 TOPS of AI computing power and support more than 500 AI models run optimized on Intel Core Ultra processors, making it the most robust platform for AI PC development, with more AI models, frameworks, and runtimes enabled than any other processor vendor. When equipped with a GeForce RTX Laptop GPU, they offer up to 542 TOPS, delivering peak performance and enabling unique AI experiences.

Additionally, MSI unveiled the new Claw 8 AI+ Windows 11 gaming handheld device, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (codenamed "Lunar Lake") and an 8-inch screen, providing a smoother and broader mobile gaming experience.

ASUS, a leading data center solutions provider, today proudly unveils its expertise in delivering comprehensive solutions for high-performance computing (HPC), AI, and diverse enterprise needs in its Data Center Solutions VIP Showcase at Computex 2024. At the event, ASUS demonstrates its expertise in servers, storage and data center architecture with support for Intel, AMD and NVIDIA technologies, as well as its liquid/air-cooling solutions and proprietary, high-quality software platforms. Equipped to meet the demanding requirements of today's data-intensive workloads, ASUS offers tailored solutions that are meticulously designed to elevate performance, reliability and scalability. From research institutions, financial firms, to manufacturing facilities, ASUS stands ready to empower organizations with cutting-edge HPC capabilities.

Unveiling enhanced flexibility with Intel Xeon 6 processors
To build a top-notch ecosystem, strong integration and partnerships are crucial for excellence. ASUS proudly introduces its latest servers, RS700-E12 and RS720-E12 series, powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors. Through fine tuning in hardware design, we've adeptly addressed the challenges of higher performance as well as increased power consumption, while also embracing modular design for more efficient motherboard layout and serviceability. Empowered by ASPEED AST2600 and PFR AST1060, these advancements have been seamlessly integrated into the all-new ASMB12-iKVM on the Intel Xeon 6 processor platform, resulting in remarkable CPU performance and fortified out-of-band management and security. This new architecture enriches all workloads, leveraging Intel 7 process paired with multiple compute cores etched on Intel 3 process, to deliver unparalleled efficiency and reliability.

GIGABYTE Technology, Giga Computing, a subsidiary of GIGABYTE and an industry leader in servers and industrial motherboards, today launched products supporting Intel Xeon 6 Processor (LGA 4710) with Efficient-cores in a single or dual socket configuration. GIGABYTE's new products span its entire enterprise portfolio from GPU servers to liquid cooling servers to motherboards. With Intel's new processor roadmap addressing a broad range of compute needs in the server market, Efficient-cores (E-cores) and Performance-cores (P-cores) have their unique advantages, and both are supported on this platform. E-cores are available today, with P-core products becoming available in the future. The solutions within have distinct advantages for cloud, networking and media, and data services workloads that value consistent performance, greater energy efficiency, and dense rack and core density.

GIGABYTE's enterprise portfolio for the Intel Xeon 6 processor spans GPU servers, direct liquid cooling (DLC) servers, multi-node servers, general purpose motherboards and servers, and edge servers. By releasing a wide range of servers, data centers can quickly integrate it to achieve dynamic goals such as in GIGA POD, a rack-scale supercomputing AI infrastructure by GIGABYTE. The new Xeon based servers by GIGABYTE are also highly compatible with cloud-native software stacks for portability and consistency in containerized applications in distributed systems.

Acemagic, a German mini-PC developer, has an interesting product booth at Computex 2024. We stopped by to take a look and found the exciting world of mini-PC solutions. Among the first products, we looked at the Z1A dual-screen laptop solution. Featuring two 14.1-inch 1080p IPS displays sitting side by side, the Z1A laptop is powered by Intel's Alder Lake Core i7-1265U or i7-1255U CPUs with Intel Iris Xe graphics. Weighting 1.8 kg, the laptop has a 4000 mAh battery and accommodates two M.2 2280 NVMe drives in combination with LPDDR4 memory left empty for users to install. The computer features WiFi 6 and BlueTooth 5.2 connectivity options and has an IO port selection that includes a USB 3.0, HDMI 2.0, and two USB Type-C connectors (one for data and one for charging and data).

As industry leaders and innovators gather at Computex 2024, ASUS is excited to unveil its latest computing technologies for work. This year's highlight is the debut of the all-new ASUS Expert P series, specifically designed for entrepreneurs, prosumers and home offices, marking a significant expansion in ASUS offerings for business. Leading this series is the flagship model ExpertBook P5 (P5405), the first ASUS next-era AI PC designed for work. It exemplifies the fusion of cutting-edge technology with practical functionality.

Powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (code-named 'Lunar Lake'), ExpertBook P5 embodies a new way of working. It introduces pioneering ASUS AI PC technology, boasting more than 45 TOPS NPU, delivering over 100 platform TOPS and approximately triple the AI performance of the first-generation Intel Core Ultra processor, ensuring quieter and cooler operations ideal for the dynamic environments of today's mobile professionals.

We are live from the Intel Computex 2024 Keynote address in Taipei. CEO Pat Gelsinger, along with the heads of the company's various business groups will take stage to unveil the latest in PC processors, server processors, generative AI accelerators, datacenter infrastructure gear, and lots more! In particular, we're interested in their Core Ultra "Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake" processors, and next-generation Xeon 6 chips. Can Gaudi 3 break into the duopoly between NVIDIA and AMD? Join us to find out in this live-blog!02:55 UTC: Something really cool from the show: The camera is pointing at Intel's industry partners in the audience, and a Gaudi 3 is turning them into superhero images!03:02 UTC: Pat Gelsinger takes center stage.

German PC OEM Schenker, along with its two brands—XMG targeted at high-performance mobile workstations and gaming notebooks; and Tuxedo, targeting Linux-friendly notebooks; made a splash at the 2024 Computex. We visited their pullout booth. The EVO 14 is a 14-inch class performance notebook powered by choices of Intel Core Ultra 7 155H "Meteor Lake" or AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS "Hawk Point" mobile processors; an innovative new dual-fan cooling solution, with 65 W sustained power delivery, and an 80 Wh battery pack. The 14-inch display features a 16:10 aspect ratio, 400 nits brightness, and 3K resolution. Memory options go all the way up to 96 GB, and I/O includes either USB4 or Thunderbolt 4, depending on the hardware platform. The EVO 15 is almost identical in terms of specs, but with a larger 99.8 Wh battery, and a 15.3-inch 500 nits display, and a full-sized edge-to-edge keyboard.Update 07:03 UTC: We have some pricing and availability details from Schenker.

Acer today announced the expansion of its wireless router portfolio with two new options designed for gamers and a wide range of individuals, including families and remote workers. The Acer Wave 7 leverages the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology to deliver broad, reliable coverage for large homes with many devices, while the Predator Connect W6x utilizes Wi-Fi 6 to prioritize speed and performance for smooth online gaming experiences.

The W6x boasts dual-band connectivity, utilizing both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies to ensure strong and consistent signals throughout the home, while the Wave 7 elevates further with the additional support of up to 6 GHz of Wi-Fi 7. Additionally, they come equipped with Hybrid Quality of Service (QoS) software and the Intel Killer Prioritization Engine, working together to identify and prioritize critical network traffic for maximized speed and minimal lag. User-friendly interfaces make setup and management a breeze, while built-in Trend Micro Home Network Security safeguards network and connected devices from potential threats.

Acer today announced a new range of AI-enhanced TravelMate business laptops. Powered with the latest generation of processors with built-in NPUs, the new laptops offer professionals and executives next-level performance, productivity, and mobility, in addition to enhanced security and connectivity features.

Optimized to deliver new AI-powered capabilities and user experiences, all of the new business laptops come with Acer TravelMateSense for quick access to device management settings and customizations, a new Acer Experience Zone for the collection of the devices' AI features, and Copilot accessible through a dedicated hotkey. Each model also offers advanced security and administration features to streamline device deployment and management for business, ensuring data are safeguarded with discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, biometric security, and a camera privacy shutter.

God of War Ragnarök will be coming to PC on September 19, 2024! Santa Monica Studio's development partner for God of War (2018) on PC, Jetpack Interactive, is back to help deliver the PC version of God of War Ragnarök. Alongside the release date, we'd also like to share a selection of the features that will be available (Account for PlayStation Network is required).

Unlocked framerates
Experience the epic conclusion of Kratos and Atreus' journey in the Norse saga at peak performance. Unlocked framerates and the option of true 4K resolution expand the full potential of the cinematic no-cut camera as you travel through the stunning vistas of the Nine Realms to do battle against deadly foes in the forms of Norse gods and monsters.

Acer today announces two new models in its Aspire series of all-in-one PCs, delivering seamless AI-powered experiences for everyday computing and entertainment. With immersive 23.8- and 27-inch display options, smart collaboration features, and sleek, versatile designs, the Acer Aspire C range appeals to multiple types of users, including students, hybrid workers, and families. The new Acer Aspire C24 (C24-195ES) and Acer Aspire C27 (C27-195ES) are powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155U with Intel AI Boost and Intel Graphics built-in, with support for up to 32 GB dual channel DDR5 memory and up to 2 TB M.2 PCIe SSD to produce impressive overall performance and experiences.

To further complement the usability of the all-in-one AI computers, productivity features such as Copilot, the everyday AI companion, leverage the power of AI to boost productivity and unlock creativity, while the Intel Unison software lets multiple devices and operating systems come together into an integrated experience focused on a single screen. Their 1440p QHD 5.0-megapixel webcams (with privacy shutter) support Windows Studio effects and Acer PurifiedVoice with AI noise reduction technology to suppress unwanted background noises when conducting online meetings and discussions. Users will also be pleased with ultra-fast and stable connectivity when streaming and surfing thanks to Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, along with Bluetooth LE audio which allows for multistream transmission of enhanced, wireless sound quality through more audio devices.

Amid all the attention the next-generation "Lion Cove" P-cores powering the upcoming "Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake" microarchitectures get as they compete with AMD's "Zen 5," it's easy to lose sight of the next-generation "Skymont" E-cores that will feature in both the upcoming Intel microarchitectures, and as standalone cores in the "Twin Lake" low-power processor. Pictures from an Intel presentation, possibly to PC OEMs, got leaked to the web. These are just thumbnails, we can't see the whole slides, but the person who took the pictures captioned them in a now-deleted social media post on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.

And now, the big reveal—the "Skymont" E-core is said to offer a double-digit IPC gain over the "Crestmont" E-core powering the current "Meteor Lake" processor, which in itself posted a roughly 4% IPC gain over the "Gracemont" E-cores found in the "Raptor Lake" and "Alder Lake" microarchitectures. Such an IPC gain over "Gracemont" should make the "Skymont" E-core match the IPC of the "Sunny Cove" or "Willow Cove" P-cores powering the "Ice Lake" and "Tiger Lake" microarchitectures, respectively, which were both within the 90th percentile of the AMD "Zen 3" core in IPC.

According to the report from Volksstimme.de, Intel has delayed its Magdeburg fab construction until 2025 due to difficulties in acquiring suitable land. The company had initially planned to begin construction in 2024, but the process has been slowed significantly due to the availability of suitable land. The Magdeburg plant is a significant investment for Intel, with the company planning to invest around €30 billion in the facility. The plant is expected to create thousands of jobs and play a crucial role in the company's European expansion plans. However, the delay in construction is likely to impact these plans and may result in a longer timeline for the plant's completion.

The delay is attributed to the difficulty in finding suitable land for the plant. Intel's original plan of producing a factory on the land concluded that there was humus-rich black soil up to 40 cm in the ground, which would get removed for usage by agricultural fields in Germany. However, now the top layer of black soil, which needs to be excavated, is measured up to 90 cm in depth, which doesn't allow fab construction to start and requires the removal of the soil in order to satisfy the safety regulations. This useful soil has to be extracted first before being "contaminated" with concrete and other types of foundation soils like gravel. The state of Saxony-Anhalt postponed the construction until the required soil was removed and regulations were met. This will supposedly happen by the end of 2024, and construction will start in 2025.

Intel released the Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5534 Beta, the latest version of its graphics drivers for Arc graphics cards and integrated graphics. This release brings optimization for F1 24 and MultiVersus, which should improve performance across the line. The company didn't specify its performance improvement numbers. Besides these, the drivers lack the usual load of bug fixes for games or applications, but Intel took the opportunity to list out several issues it identified since the last driver release, so you know the company is working on them. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5534 Beta

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, is excited to announce its participation at COMPUTEX 2024 from Jun 4 to Jun 7, 2024. COLORFUL Technology will be exhibiting its latest and upcoming products at the booth L0417a located at 4F, Hall 1 of the Nangang Exhibition Center. This year, COLORFUL Technology will expand its popular Vulcan, Neptune and Mini Series to more than just graphics cards and will include other PC components to complete a full gaming PC. COLORFUL will also be introducing new liquid cooling for the COLORFUL iGame GeForce RTX 4090 Vulcan LAB.

Featuring the themed gaming PCs launched and launching this year which includes the COLORFIRE MEOW and iGame ULTRA gaming PC Sets. Upcoming Vulcan, and MINI Series gaming PCs. The Vulcan Series consists of new concept products which will include a motherboard, DDR5 memory, chassis, peripherals, PSU, and liquid cooler featuring Asetek pump technology. The iGame Z790D5 Vulcan is designed to be a high-end motherboard. COLORFUL is already preparing a new Vulcan motherboard to the next-generation Intel Core processors.

An AMD Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" desktop processor engineering sample with a maximum boost frequency of 5.80 GHz was found to offer an astonishing 19% higher single-threaded performance increase over an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. "Granite Ridge" is codename for the Socket AM5 desktop processor family that implements the new "Zen 5" CPU microarchitecture. The unnamed "Granite Ridge" processor comes with an OPN code of 100-0000001290. Its CPU core count is irrelevant, as the single-threaded performance is in question here. The processor boosts up to 5.80 GHz, which means the core handling the single-threaded benchmark workload is achieving this speed. This speed is 100 MHz higher than the 5.70 GHz that the Ryzen 9 7950X processor based on the "Zen 4" architecture, boosts up to.

The single-threaded benchmark in question is the CPU-Z Bench. The mostly blurred out CPU-Z screenshot that reveals the OPN also mentions a processor TDP of 170 W, which means this engineering sample chip is either 12-core or 16-core. The chip posts a CPU-Z Bench single-thread score of 910 points, which matches that of the Intel Core i9-14900K with its 908 points. You've to understand that the i9-14900K boosts one of its P-cores to 6.00 GHz, to yield the 908 points that's part CPU-Z's reference scores. So straight off the bat, we see that "Zen 5" has a higher IPC than the "Raptor Cove" P-core powering the i9-14900K. Its gaming performance might end up higher than the Ryzen 7000 X3D family.Many Thanks to TumbleGeorge for the tip.

Getac today announced the launch of its brand-new AI-ready S510 rugged laptop, enabling organizations across industries such as utilities, public safety, manufacturing and automotive to utilise the power of edge AI on a daily basis. The new S510 enables workers to capitalise on the significant productivity benefits of AI-based applications. An Intel Core Ultra 5/7 processor with Intel AI Boost and Intel Graphics put powerful performance at users' fingertips, while a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key quickly awakens AI capabilities whenever needed.

The S510 combines this innovative feature set with MIL-STD-810H and IP53 certifications, alongside 3ft (0.9 m) drop and vibration resistance, giving users the peace of mind they need to work with confidence. The S510 also boasts a 15.6-inch display with 1,000 nits of brightness and Getac sunlight readable technology for optimal versatility in a variety of light conditions. In addition, the device provides robust connectivity options including WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 as standard, with optional 4G-LTE and 5G Sub-6 capabilities to keep users connected.

Beijing has doubled down on its push for semiconductor self-sufficiency with the establishment of a new $47.5 billion investment fund to accelerate growth in the domestic chip sector. The fund, officially registered on May 24th under the name "China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Phase III", represents the largest of three state-backed vehicles aimed at cultivating China's semiconductor capabilities. The announcement comes as tensions over advanced chip technology continue to escalate between the U.S. and China. Over the past couple years, Washington has steadily ratcheted up export controls on semiconductors to Beijing over national security concerns about potential military applications. These measures have lent new urgency to China's quest for self-sufficiency in chip design and manufacturing.

With a war chest of 344 billion yuan ($47.5 billion), the "Big Fund" dwarfs the combined capital of the first two semiconductor investment vehicles launched in 2014 and 2019. Officials have outlined a multipronged strategy targeting key bottlenecks, focusing on equipment for chip fabrication plants. The fund has bankrolled major projects such as flash memory maker Yangtze Memory Technologies and leading foundries like SMIC and Huahong. China's homegrown chip industry still needs to catch up to global leaders like Intel, Samsung, and TSMC. However, the immense scale of state-directed capital illustrates Beijing's unwavering commitment to developing a self-reliant supply chain for semiconductors—a technology viewed as indispensable for economic and military competitiveness. News of the "Big Fund" sent Chinese chip stocks surging over 3% on hopes of fresh financing tailwinds.