Memtest86+, the spiritual successor of MemTest86, has been somewhat stuck in development hell, but now the developer behind the memory testing software has promised to deliver version 6.00 sometime this summer. Version 5.31b was released in April 2020, some six years after the previous release and still not released as a final build, largely due to the pandemic. Version 6.00 promises a host of new features and the developers are already now asking for people that want to pitch in and help out with the project, since it's an open-source project.

The goal of version 6.00 is to deliver 64-bit support, UEFI and DDR5 with XMP support, as well as support for up to 256 CPU cores. Other features that are said to come include PXE and native USB boot. The goal is to provide a beta build sometime in April, but for those that don't mind compiling their own version of the code, can give it a try now, although the developers are warning that the code is going to be buggy at this point. The base code is said to have been re-written from scratch compared to prior versions and a lot of features are still missing and some features from the older versions are said to have been dropped, at least for the time being.

The output value of the world's top 10 foundries in 4Q21 reached US$29.55 billion, or 8.3% growth QoQ, according to TrendForce's research. This is due to the interaction of two major factors. One is limited growth in overall production capacity. At present, the shortage of certain components for TVs and laptops has eased but there are other peripheral materials derived from mature process such as PMIC, Wi-Fi, and MCU that are still in short supply, precipitating continued fully loaded foundry capacity. Second is rising average selling price (ASP). In the fourth quarter, more expensive wafers were produced in succession led by TSMC and foundries continued to adjust their product mix to increase ASP. In terms of changes in this quarter's top 10 ranking, Nexchip overtook incumbent DB Hitek to clinch 10th place.

TrendForce believes that the output value of the world's top ten foundries will maintain a growth trend in 1Q22 but appreciation in ASP will still be the primary driver of said growth. However, since there are fewer first quarter working days in the Greater China Area due to the Lunar New Year holiday and this is the time when some foundries schedule an annual maintenance period, 1Q22 growth rate will be down slightly compared to 4Q21.

Apple yesterday announced its M1 Ultra processor. It is designed to be one of the most powerful solutions ever envisioned for desktop users, and it leverages some of the already existing technologies. Essentially, the M1 Ultra chip combines two monolithic dies containing M1 Max designs. They are stitched together to create one massive chip behaving in a rather exciting way. To pair the two M1 Max dies together, Apple has designed a package called UltraFusion, which is a die-to-die interposer with more than 10,000 signals. It provides 2.5 TB/s low latency inter-processor bandwidth and enables seamless sharing of information across two dies.

What is more interesting is that this approach, called multi-chip module (MCM) design philosophy, allows the software to view these two dies as a single, unified processor. Memory is shared across a vast pool of processor cache and system memory in a single package. This approach is software agnostic and allows hardware to function efficiently with loads of bandwidth. Apple notes that no additional developer optimization is required for the new processor, and the already-existing stack of applications for M1 Max works out-of-the-box. Talking about numbers, the M1 Ultra chip has a potential main memory bandwidth of 800 GB/s, with up to 128 GB of unified system memory. We are yet to see how this design behaves as the first Mac Studio units start shipping, so we have to wait for more tests to check these claims out.

Tanzanite Silicon Solutions Inc., the leader in the development of Compute Express Link (CXL) based products, is unveiling its architectural vision and product roadmap with an SoC mapped to FPGA Proof-Of-Concept vehicle demonstrating Memory Expansion and Memory Pooling, with multi-host CXL based connectivity. Explosive demand for memory and compute to meet the needs of emerging applications such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), blockchain technology, and the metaverse is outpacing monolithic systems. A disaggregated data center design with composable components for CPU, memory, storage, GPU, and XPU is needed to provide flexible and dynamic pooling of resources to meet the varying demands of heterogenous workloads in an optimal and efficient manner.

Tanzanite's visionary TanzanoidTZ architecture and purpose-built design of a "Smart Logic Interface Connector" (SLICTZ) SoC enables independent scaling and sharing of memory and compute in a pool with low latency within and across server racks. The Tanzanite solution provides a highly scalable architecture for exa-scale level memory capacity and compute acceleration, supporting multiple industry standard form-factors, ranging from E1.S, E3.S, memory expansion board, and memory appliance.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has validated Samsung's 14-nanometer (nm) based 16-gigabit (Gb) Low Power Double Data Rate 5X (LPDDR5X) DRAM for use on Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon mobile platforms.

Since developing the industry's first 14 nm-based LPDDR5X DRAM last November, Samsung has worked closely with Qualcomm Technologies to optimize its 7.5 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) LPDDR5X for use with Snapdragon mobile platforms. Delivering about 1.2 times faster speed than the 6.4 Gbps LPDDR5 deployed in today's premium smartphones, Samsung's LPDDR5X is expected to boost the performance of ultra-high-resolution video recording as well as AI features such as voice recognition, image recognition and natural language processing in next-generation smartphones. Furthermore, by adopting advanced circuit designs as well as dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), LPDDR5X power consumption can be reduced by approximately 20%.

Continuing to lead the way forward for UFS technology, KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced sampling of the industry's first Universal Flash Storage (UFS)3 embedded flash memory devices supporting MIPI M-PHY v5.04. The new lineup utilizes the company's BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and is available in three capacities: 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB. The new devices deliver high speed read and write performance and are targeted to a variety of mobile applications, including leading-edge smartphones.

The new KIOXIA devices are next-generation UFS (MIPI M-PHY 5.0), which has a theoretical interface speed of up to 23.2 Gbps per lane (x2 lanes = 46.4 Gpbs) in HS-GEAR mode. Sequential read and write performance of the 256 GB device is improved by approximately 90 percent and 70 percent, respectively, over previous generation devices. Also, random read and write performance of the 256 GB device is improved by approximately 35 percent and 60 percent, respectively, over previous generation devices. This next generation of UFS provides significant increases in performance, enabling next-generation smartphones and other products to enhance their capabilities and end user experiences in the 5G era and beyond.

At Intel's 2022 Investor Meeting, Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger and Intel's business leaders outlined key elements of the company's strategy and path for long-term growth. Intel's long-term plans will capitalize on transformative growth during an era of unprecedented demand for semiconductors. Among the presentations, Intel announced product roadmaps across its major business units and key execution milestones, including: Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics, Intel Foundry Services, Software and Advanced Technology, Network and Edge, Technology Development, More: For more from Intel's Investor Meeting 2022, including the presentations and news, please visit the Intel Newsroom and Intel.com's Investor Meeting site.

AMD today released the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin. Bearing the fancy number 22.2.2, these drivers add optimization for "Total War: Warhammer III." The drivers also add major optimization for AMD Smart Access Memory (Resizable BAR) when you pair AMD "Cezanne" based processors with compatible Radeon RX 6000 and RX 5000 series GPUs, with game-specific performance improving by as much as 23%. Details of individual use-cases in the change-log below. With this release, the company didn't fix any new bugs, but identified several of them. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 22.2.2 beta

SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., a division of SGH and a global leader in memory solutions, solid-state drives, and hybrid storage products announces its new DDR5 32 GB Very Low Profile Registered Dual In-Line Memory Module (VLP RDIMM). SMART's new DuraMemory DDR5 32 GB VLP RDIMM is the industry's first DDR5 VLP RDIMM form factor.

The 32 GB VLP RDIMM addresses applications with space constraints, such as embedded 1U blade compute and storage, enterprise networking, telecom, and industrial single-board computers (SBCs). The space savings also equates to improved heat dissipation and energy savings, reducing business costs. The DDR5 32 GB VLP RDIMM is the newest addition to SMART's broad portfolio of VLP and ULP (Ultra Low Profile) modules that are suitable for all types of dense computing, storage, networking and telecom applications. For ruggedized and harsh operating conditions, SMART also offers retention clips to secure the socket latches in place, and industrial grade temperature operation of -40°C to +85°C.

Thermaltake, officially announces the worldwide availability of TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory. This series is the first DDR5 memory of Thermaltake's RAM collection, which comes in frequencies of 4800 MHz, 5200 MHz and 5600 MHz and with capacities of 32 GB (16 GB x2), offering enhanced performance. Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 4800 MHz is available now, followed by the 5200 MHz and 5600 MHz on March 3rd.

Being compatible with mainstream hardware and the latest AMD and Intel motherboards, the new DDR5 series comes with higher capacities, faster speeds and better performance than the previous generation. The TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory has been through rigorous tests to select tightly-screened ICs, and features a built-in Power Management IC (PMIC) to enhance power supply stability; Additionally, the on-die error correction code (ECC) allows memory modules to correct errors automatically, further improving overall stability and reliability. With its doubled bank group architecture, the new TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 enhances access availability and brings you higher capacities without lag, leading the way to next-gen memory. What's more, the latest TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory is compatible with Thermaltake's CPU and memory AIO cooler series, such as Floe RC and Floe RC Ultra Series, providing users more flexibility when it comes to matching PC builds.

Intel's next-generation Xeon processors code-named Sapphire Rapids are on track to hit the market this year. These new processors are supposed to bring a wide array of new and improved features and a chance for Intel to show off its 10 nm SuperFin manufacturing process in the server market. Thanks to the Twitter user YuuKi_AnS, we have some of the first tests run in AIDA64 and Cinebench R15 benchmark suites. Yuuki managed to get ahold of DDR5-enabled Sapphire Rapids Xeon with 48 cores and 96 threads, equipped with a base frequency of 2.3 GHz and boost speeds of 3.3 GHz. The processor tested was an engineering sample with a Q-SPEC designation of "QYFQ" and made for Intel Socket E (LGA-4677). This CPU sample was locked at 270 Watt TDP.

Below, you can see the performance results of this processor, tested in the AIDA64 cache and memory benchmark and Cinebench R15 bench test. There is a comparison between AMD's Milan-X and Xeon Platinum 8380, so the numbers are more in check of what you can expect from the final product.

Western Digital Corp. (Nasdaq: WDC) today announced that contamination of certain material used in its manufacturing processes has occurred and is affecting production operations at both its Yokkaichi and Kitakami joint venture, flash fabrication facilities. Western Digital's current assessment of the impact is a reduction of its flash availability of at least 6.5 exabytes. The company is working closely with its joint venture partner, Kioxia, to implement necessary measures that will restore the facilities to normal operational status as quickly as possible.

Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive. As a leader in data infrastructure, the company is driving the innovation needed to help customers capture, preserve, access and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives, from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices, our industry-leading solutions deliver the possibilities of data. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital, G-Technology, SanDisk, and WD brands.

We recently reported on the DDR5-8888 CL88 Overclocking world record set by G.Skill, ASUS, and overclocker "lupin_no_musume" using G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 memory on an ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX motherboard. This same overclocker has now set a new record using the same memory and motherboard combination achieving a speed of 4779.7 MHz (9560 MT/s) at 120-120-120-120-127-2 timings using liquid nitrogen cooling. The record was set with a single 16 GB Trident Z5 DDR5 memory module paired with an Intel Core i9-12900K processor.

The expansion of the only computer memory factory in Europe is underway. The factory in question produces Goodram branded memory and is located in Łaziska Górne. In the south of Poland, there is a unique technological company that stands out in Europe. The said company is Wilk Elektronik SA, which is the manufacturer of the well-known in Europe Goodram computer memory brand as well as the IRDM gaming line. Nine months after the symbolic groundbreaking, the scale of this private investment is already visible. The impressive 14-meter high structure of the building is not accidental. The extended part of the company is going to have a high storage warehouse and a new production hall. Thus, the company surface will be expanded from the current 3000 m² by 1140 m² in the warehousing and logistics section and 1200 m² in the production area.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of the next version of its High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) DRAM standard: JESD238 HBM3, available for download from the JEDEC website. HBM3 is an innovative approach to raising the data processing rate used in applications where higher bandwidth, lower power consumption and capacity per area are essential to a solution's market success, including graphics processing and high-performance computing and servers.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is delighted to announce the launch of an extremely low-latency, high-speed DDR5-6400 CL32 32 GB (2x16 GB) memory kit under the Trident Z5 family memory series, designed for the latest 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors and Intel Z690 chipset motherboards.

Dedicated to developing ever-faster memory modules, G.SKILL is launching an ultra-low latency DDR5-6400 CL32-39-39-102 memory kit at 1.40 V with 32 GB (2x16 GB) kit capacity. Equipped with exceptionally tight timings, this extreme memory specification represents the next step of the Trident Z5 family flagship performance. The screenshot below shows this memory kit validated on the Intel Core i7-12700K processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard. The DDR5-6400 CL32 32 GB (2x16 GB) memory kits under the Trident Z5 and Trident Z5 RGB series is available now via G.SKILL worldwide distribution partners.

Worldwide semiconductor revenue increased 25.1% in 2021 to total $583.5 billion, crossing the $500 billion threshold for the first time, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc.

"As the global economy bounced back in 2021, shortages appeared throughout the semiconductor supply chain, particularly in the automotive industry," said Andrew Norwood, research vice president at Gartner. "The resulting combination of strong demand as well as logistics and raw material price increases drove semiconductors' average selling price higher (ASP), contributing to overall revenue growth in 2021.

Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced the launch of Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Ver. 3.1 [1] embedded flash memory devices utilizing the company's innovative 4-bit per cell quad-level-cell (QLC) technology. For applications needing high density, such as cutting-edge smartphones, Kioxia's QLC technology enables the capability to achieve the highest densities available in a single package.

Kioxia's UFS proof of concept (PoC) device is a 512 gigabyte prototype that utilizes the company's 1 terabit (128 gigabyte) BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory with QLC technology, and is now sampling to OEM customers. The PoC device is designed to meet the increasing performance and density requirements of mobile applications driven by higher resolution images, 5G networks, 4K plus video and the like.

Based on details from multiple sources, least not the release notes for HWiNFO 7.17 beta, we now know that AMD is working on an answer to Intel's XMP memory profiles that should be called RAMP, or Ryzen Accelerated Memory Profile. Not much is known about RAMP at this point in time, but hopefully it'll be as straightforward to use as Intel's XMP when it comes to configuring overclocked DIMMs.

Intel has of course updated XMP to version 3.0 which includes support for DDR5 memory, although it was reported that Intel was late when it came to finalising the specifics of XMP 3.0, which meant some early DDR5 modules intended for overclocking didn't end up getting any XMP profiles. Hopefully AMD will get its RAMP spec finished well ahead of time, so the memory makers that want to offer support for RAMP can do so well ahead of the launch of AMD's upcoming AM5 platform.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions today announced AORUS RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 32 GB Memory Kit, which uplift frequency to 6000 MHz with RGB lighting for performance boost and striking accents. Enhanced by DDR5 XMP Booster and XMP 3.0 User Profile of GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards, and copper-aluminium heat spreaders with nano-carbon coating thermal design, the new memory kit promises the next-level performance with stability while dissipating heat efficiently under high-speed operation.

AORUS RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 32 GB Memory Kit features high clock speed and low power consumption by two 16 GB DDR5 XMP 6000 MHz dual-channel designs with 40-40-40-76 timings, which fit the support of DDR5 memory on Intel Z690 platform. Along with GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards, AORUS RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 32 GB memory kit can enable "DDR5 XMP Booster" function which detect the brand of memory IC in the BIOS setting to allow users to choose promptly from multiple built-in memory overclocking profiles, boosting the native DDR5 or XMP DDR5 memory speed. Furthermore, "XMP 3.0 User Profile" enables users to create and store XMP profiles of their own to unleash the extreme performance of memories.

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Cooling, Gaming Gear, and Enthusiast Memory solutions, is proud to announce the launch of TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory, the first DDR5 memory of Thermaltake's RAM collection, at the 2022 Thermaltake Expo January Virtual Exhibition.

Thermaltake's RAM product line covers a wide range of options, ranging from DDR4 2400 MHz to higher frequencies of up to 5600 MHz for our DDR5 modules, as Thermaltake continues to strive to meet its users' needs with the best products. This time, together with the latest TOUGHRAM RC DDR5 Memory, Thermaltake officially turns to a new chapter and officially enters the new generation of DDR5.

NVIDIA is preparing to launch an ultimate solution for high-end laptops and gamers that could benefit from the high-performance graphics card integration in mobile systems like gaming laptops. Rumored to launch sometime in January, NVIDIA is preparing a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti mobile GPU SKU that supposedly offers the highest performance in the Ampere mobile family. According to sources close to VideoCardz, team green has prepared to announce RTX 3080 Ti mobile design with faster memory and higher total graphics power (TGP). The memory speed will get an upgrade to 16 Gbps, compared to the 14 Gbps speed in RTX 3080 mobile SKU.

Similarly, the total overall TGP will also receive a bump to 175 Watts. This is just a tad higher than the 165 Watt TGP of RTX 3080 mobile. The Ti version will upgrade the CUDA core count and other things like TMUs to undetermined specifications. Currently, it is rumored that the Ti version could carry 7424 CUDA cores, which is an upgrade from 6144 of the regular RTX 3080 version.

ADATA XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, E-sports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, today announces the XPG CASTER DDR5 DRAM series. The XPG CASTER, which comes with and without RGB lighting, is rated for 7000 MT/s and comes equipped with On-Die ECC and PMIC for enhanced stability and reliability. Both the RGB and non-RGB variants feature capacities of 16 GB.

Running at 7000 MT/s, the XPG CASTER is a new breed of DDR5 that is over two times faster than standard DDR4 DRAM. With blazing-fast data transfer rates, users will enjoy a smoother and seamless gaming experience. With support for Intel XMP 3.0, overclocking is incredibly and straightforward. It allows users to avoid cumbersome BIOS settings and never-ending adjustment of overclocking parameters.

Apacer's consumer and gaming DDR5 memory modules are finally available! The DDR5-4800 delivers 16 GB of DRAM at 4800 MHz and draws just 1.1 V. That leaves DDR4 modules far behind in the rear-view mirror. Performance, capacity, stability and power efficiency are all taken to the next level. In addition to the standard DDR5 memory module, Apacer is launching a NOX DDR5 gaming memory module. This will provide gamers with extremely stable overclocking capabilities with a single click. Power consumption management is also upgraded in DDR5.

Apacer's DDR5-4800 modules are compliant with the JEDEC standard. And their operating frequency of 4800 MHz is a 50% increase in bandwidth compared to the standard DDR4 upper frequency limit of 3200 MHz.

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to reveal its cutting-edge Lexar ARES DDR5 Desktop Memory. The ARES DDR5 leverages next-gen technology, with speeds starting at 4800, DDR5-4800 is 1.5x the bandwidth faster than DDR4-3200. Features a sleek aluminium heatspreader to keep your system and motherboard running cool. It is perfect for PC enthusiasts, hardcore gamers and content creators who are looking to next-level performance, increased capacity and maximum power efficiency.

Whether you are operating speed-demanding video games, video editing software, or processing intensive workloads, the Lexar ARES DDR5 Desktop Memory accelerates your PC performance for multitasking with increased performance while on the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processor. Moreover, ARES DDR5 elevates the power efficiency and product reliability. It is built with an on-die ECC, which fully leverages real-time data error correction for increased data stability and reliability. With built-in Power Management IC (PMIC), the DDR5 computer memory module provides better power control and power delivery while operating at a low voltage of 1.1 V.