MSI proudly introduces the next generation of motherboards, designed to pair seamlessly with Intel brand-new Core Ultra Processors. The Z890 MEG Series, MPG Series, MAG Series, and PRO Series motherboards are designed to harness the power of Intel's latest technology, delivering enhanced AI computing efficiency compared to previous generations. These boards provide exceptional performance with advanced features, MSI innovations, premium components, and improved connectivity. But what truly sets them apart is their user-friendly DIY solutions, empowering you to take control of your computing experience. Built with gamers, creators, and all users in mind, MSI's Z890 motherboards offer the very best in computing power. On launch, there will be 5 models available, which are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K / 265KF, and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K / 245KF processors.

With the introduction of MSI's Z890 motherboards, designed to push performance boundaries and with a completely redesigned, more intuitive BIOS, users can now maximize motherboard performance with ease. Powered by MSI's Ultra Engine, memory design optimization enables overclocking up to 9200+ MT/s across the entire Z890 motherboard lineup. And with the returning of the MEG Z890 UNIFY-X, built with overclocking in mind, takes memory frequencies even higher, reaching up to 9600 MT/s. The Z890 motherboards incorporate a number of powerful features like AI Boost with the ability to overclock the NPU further for AI enhancement capabilities, Game Boost, Performance Preset, enhanced XMP Memory Profiles, and Memory Try It!, allowing users to elevate their system's performance to new heights.

In the past 13 years, global data production has surged, increasing an estimated 74 times. (1) Looking forward, McKinsey projects AI to spur 35% annual growth in enterprise SSD capacity demand, from 181 Exabytes (EB) in 2024 to 1,078EB in 2030. (2) To address this growing demand, ScaleFlux, a leader in data storage and memory technology, is announcing a significant expansion of its product portfolio. The company is introducing cutting-edge controllers for both NVMe SSDs and Compute Express Link (CXL) modules, reinforcing its leadership in innovative technology for the data pipeline. "With the release of three new ASIC controllers and key updates to its existing lineup, ScaleFlux continues to push the boundaries of SSD and memory performance, power efficiency, and data integrity," points out Hao Zhong, CEO and Co-Founder of the company.

Three New SoC Controllers to Transform Data Center Storage
ScaleFlux is proud to unveil three new SoC controllers designed to enhance data center, AI and enterprise infrastructure:

TrendForce's latest findings reveal that weaker consumer demand has persisted through 3Q24, leaving AI servers as the primary driver of memory demand. This dynamic, combined with HBM production displacing conventional DRAM capacity, has led suppliers to maintain a firm stance on contract price hikes.

Smartphone brands continue to remain cautious despite some server OEMs continuing to show purchasing momentum. Consequently, TrendForce forecasts that Q4 memory prices will see a significant slowdown in growth, with conventional DRAM expected to increase by only 0-5%. However, benefiting from the rising share of HBM, the average price of overall DRAM is projected to rise 8-13%—a marked deceleration compared to the previous quarter.

NVIDIA is gearing up for an exciting showcase at CES 2025, where its CEO, Jensen Huang, will take the stage and talk about, hopefully, future "Blackwell" products. According to Wccftech's sources, the anticipated GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 graphics cards should arrive at CES 2025 in January. The flagship RTX 5090 is rumored to come equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory running at 28 Gbps. Meanwhile, the RTX 5080 looks very interesting with reports of its impressive 16 GB of GDDR7 memory running at 32 Gbps. This advancement comes after we previously believed that the RTX 5080 model is going to feature 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory. However, the newest rumors suggest that we are in for a surprise, as the massive gap between RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 compute cores will be filled... with a faster memory.

The more budget-friendly RTX 5070 is also set for a CES debut, featuring 12 GB of memory. This card aims to deliver solid performance for gamers who want high-quality graphics without breaking the bank, targeting the mid-range segment. We are very curious about pricing of these models and how they would fit in the current market. As anticipation builds for CES 2025, we are eager to see how these innovations will impact gaming experiences and creative workflows in the coming year. Stay tuned for more updates as the event approaches!

Samsung Electronics is grappling with significant challenges in its semiconductor division, particularly in its memory and foundry businesses. The company's top management, led by DS Division Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun, recently issued a public apology for the division's underwhelming performance. The tech giant's struggles are best seen in its advanced 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) FET node, which reportedly yields only 10-20% of working silicon. This low yield rate has made potential customers hesitant to partner with Samsung, dealing a blow to its foundry business. Samsung Securities projects a 500 billion won (approximately $385 million) loss this year for Samsung Foundry and the LSI division combined. In the global foundry market, Samsung's position has weakened considerably. The company currently holds just 11.5% of the market share in Q2, while industry leader TSMC dominates with a commanding 62.3%. This disparity has led to speculation about the possible spinoff of Samsung Foundry, as the company reevaluates its strategy in the advanced semiconductor manufacturing sector.

Memory unit, one of Samsung's biggest assets, is slowly being one-upped by SK Hynix, which could overtake Samsung as the number one memory maker thanks to strong HBM demand. The management's apology acknowledges the concerns raised about the company's technological competitiveness and future prospects. Vice Chairman Jeon emphasized the need to restore fundamental competitiveness in technology and quality, which he described as the company's "lifeblood." Despite these challenges, Samsung's leadership remains optimistic about turning the crisis into an opportunity. They have pledged to focus on long-term solutions, invest in pioneering technologies, and foster a culture of innovation and open communication within the organization. As one of only three companies left in the advanced semiconductor manufacturing field, alongside TSMC and Intel, Samsung's ability to overcome these hurdles will be crucial not only for the company but for the entire industry.

Memory and SSD maker Crucial noticed an uptick in support requests by users claiming that their Gen 5 or Gen 4 NVMe SSDs would drop to PCIe Gen 1 speeds, besides being unable to boot into Windows after a restart. Crucial then did some digging, and localized the issue to users with motherboards based on the AMD X670E chipset, AMD's flagship Socket AM5 platform chipset. While not a function of the chipset itself, it turns out that there is a flaw in the way AMD designed the PCI-Express I/O of the X670E platform, specifically the PCIe Gen 5-capable M.2 NVMe interfaces that are attached to the CPU, causing them to drop in speeds to Gen 1. This problem isn't surfacing on the AMD B650 or the B650E, or even the X670—it is oddly specific to the X670E, despite the Gen 5 M.2 NVMe slots not being wired to the chipset.

While AMD made no public statement on the technical aspect of the flaw, if we were to guess, this could be a faulty implementation of PCIe ASPM (active state power management) at the firmware level, which reduces the speed of the PCIe link layer to reduce power. The default setting for PCIe ASPM in most motherboard UEFI setup programs tends to be "disabled," although there could be a bug in the firmware of X670E motherboards, causing it to engage, and in a buggy manner. Most UEFI BIOS setup programs tend to have two separate sets of PCIe ASPM settings—one for the CPU-attached PCIe root (which includes the x16 PEG and CPU-attached NVMe slots), and the other for downstream PCIe connectivity from the chipset.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is thrilled to showcase an incredibly high-speed overclock of G.SKILL DDR5 memory at DDR5-9000 CL44-56-56 with 48 GB (24 GB x2) kit capacity, featuring AMD EXPO overclock profile and demonstrating the memory overclock capability of the ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO motherboard and the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor.

A New High-Speed Frontier with 24 GB x2 Continuing to explore the overclock limits of DDR5 memory speed in conjunction with the new ASUS NitroPath DRAM technology that provides enhanced DDR5 memory overclock performance, G.SKILL demonstrates an amazing DDR5-9000 CL44-56-56 with two 24 GB capacity modules. Refer to the screenshot below to see this G.SKILL memory kit reaching the astounding overclocked memory speed on the ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO motherboard with an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor

T-FORCE, Team Group's gaming brand, and T-CREATE, its creator-focused brand, are launching dual-mode DDR5 overclocking memory modules for Intel and AMD platforms with speeds up to 8000 MHz. This highlights Team Group's industry-leading overclocking capabilities, delivering the ultimate performance for gamers and creators.

T-FORCE, known for pushing the boundaries of performance, and T-CREATE, focused on stable and efficient performance, will offer a range of DDR5 dual-mode overclocking memory modules under their product portfolio. These modules will come in eight speeds, ranging from 6400 MHz to 8000 MHz, catering to diverse needs and providing optimal performance for gaming enthusiasts and content creators managing complex workflows. The dual-mode memory modules will be available in 2x16GB and 2x24GB capacity options. A single 24 GB stick significantly expands memory capacity for handling large workloads, leading to smoother and more efficient performance. The memory modules are fully compatible with Intel XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) and AMD EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking) profiles, ensuring seamless one-click overclocking on the latest AMD X870E and Intel Z790 platforms, delivering an exceptional user experience across both platforms.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has begun mass production of the world's first 12-layer HBM3E product with 36 GB, the largest capacity of existing HBM to date. The company plans to supply mass-produced products to customers within the year, proving its overwhelming technology once again six months after delivering the HBM3E 8-layer product to customers for the first time in the industry in March this year.

SK hynix is the only company in the world that has developed and supplied the entire HBM lineup from the first generation (HBM1) to the fifth generation (HBM3E), since releasing the world's first HBM in 2013. The company plans to continue its leadership in the AI memory market, addressing the growing needs of AI companies by being the first in the industry to mass-produce the 12-layer HBM3E.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that the key features of its Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK) are now available on Linux, the world's largest open source operating system. HMSDK is SK hynix's proprietary software for optimizing the operation of Compute Express Link (CXL), which is gaining attention as a next-generation AI memory technology along with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). Having received global recognition for HMSDK's performance, SK hynix is now integrating it with Linux. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone for the company as it highlights the company's competitiveness in software, adding to the recognition for its high-performance memory hardware such as HBM.

In the future, developers around the world working on Linux will be able to use SK hynix's technology as the industry standard for CXL memory, putting the company in an advantageous position for global collaboration on next-generation memory. SK hynix's HMSDK enhances memory package's bandwidth by over 30% without modifying existing applications. It achieves this by selectively allocating memory based on the bandwidth between existing memory and expanded CXL memory. Additionally, the software improves performance by more than 12% over conventional systems through optimization based on access frequency, a feature which relocates frequently accessed data to faster memory.

BIWIN unveils the DW100 RGB DDR5 OC CUDIMM, innovative CUDIMM technology that delivers the fastest speed of 9200 MT/s with an ultra-low CAS latency of CL42. Biwin DW100 RGB DDR5 OC CUDIMM brings high-end features including peak speeds, advanced thermal management, and customizable RGB lighting for a superior memory upgrade that gamers dream of.

Designed for high-speed computing, this module leverages the expertise of the Biwin OC Lab to deliver top-tier overclocking performance. At the core of the lab's innovation is the advanced manufacturing process that meticulously selects the finest semiconductor materials to meet extreme performance standards.

Asgard joined the ranks of V-Color to unveil its first high-frequency DDR5 memory, the Thor DDR5-9600. V-Color recently launched its DDR5-9200 memory, and Asgard one-upped it with DDR5-9600. Both these are CUDIMMs—UDIMMs that feature a client clock driver (CKD) component. These modules feature the highest bins of DDR5-9600 chips from SK Hynix. The advertised speed of DDR5-9600 is achieved using timings of 44-56-56-136, and a scorching DRAM voltage of 1.50 V. The module includes an XMP 3.0 profile to enable these settings on an Intel platform. With a single-rank configuration and 24 GB module density, the dual-channel kit gives you 48 GB. Asgard revealed that it is working on a DDR5-10000 kit. The company didn't announce US availability.

Silicon Power (SP) is excited to announce the release of its latest high-performance memory solution, the StudioPro CFexpress 4.0 Type-B memory card. Carefully designed to meet the needs of professional photographers, filmmakers, and content creators, this card offers unparalleled performance and reliable durability, supporting the demands of 4K and 8K video recording with extreme speeds and huge capacities up to 2 TB.

PCIe Gen 4x2 Interface for Superior Performance
Equipped with an advanced PCIe Gen 4x2 interface, the StudioPro CFexpress 4.0 Type-B memory card easily manages 4K and 8K workflows with industry-leading speeds. Lightning-fast read speeds up to 3,500 MB/s and write speeds up to 3,100 MB/s ensure rapid data transfer and reduced waiting times during post-production. From high-frame-rate sports action to intricate wildlife scenes, these speeds capture smooth and uninterrupted recording, making it an essential tool for professionals seeking top-tier performance across demanding shooting environments.

NVIDIA GeForce board partners are preparing a silent launch of a variant of the GeForce RTX 4070 with slower 20 Gbps GDDR6 memory in place of the 21 Gbps GDDR6X that's standard to the RTX 4070, which results in a 5% reduction in memory bandwidth. It turns out that other specs, such as GPU clocks or core-configuration aren't changed to compensate for the reduced memory bandwidth. ASUS is among the first board partners with an RTX 4060 GDDR6 card, the ASUS DUAL RTX 4070 GDDR6, which was briefly listed on Newegg for $569, before it went out of stock. This is reported by VideoCardz as being the same price as the regular ASUS DUAL RTX 4070 with GDDR6X.

ASUS isn't the only NVIDIA board partner with an RTX 4070 GDDR6, Wccftech spotted a GALAX branded card that comes with the model string "RTX 4070 D6 1-click OC." Its retail box features a large specs-sheet on the front face that clearly mentions GDDR6 as the memory type. NVIDIA's move to re-spec the RTX 4070 with 20 Gbps GDDR6 was originally seen as a move to reduce its costs, letting the card be sold closer to the $500-mark. It remains to be seen if real-world prices settle down below those of the original RTX 4070 cards.

Rambus Inc., a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced the industry's first HBM4 Memory Controller IP, extending its market leadership in HBM IP with broad ecosystem support. This new solution supports the advanced feature set of HBM4 devices, and will enable designers to address the demanding memory bandwidth requirements of next-generation AI accelerators and graphics processing units (GPUs).

"With Large Language Models (LLMs) now exceeding a trillion parameters and continuing to grow, overcoming bottlenecks in memory bandwidth and capacity is mission-critical to meeting the real-time performance requirements of AI training and inference," said Neeraj Paliwal, SVP and general manager of Silicon IP, at Rambus. "As the leading silicon IP provider for AI 2.0, we are bringing the industry's first HBM4 Controller IP solution to the market to help our customers unlock breakthrough performance in their state-of-the-art processors and accelerators."

Lexar, the globally renowned storage brand, attended IFA 2024, where it hosted a product launch event and workshops showcasing its innovative new industry-leading catalog, including Portable SSDs, memory cards, DRAM, and other innovative products.

Marking IFA's centennial in 2024, the 'Creation' theme underscores storage's integral part in driving innovation. Under the 'Memory Creates Endless' theme, Lexar set up a 'Journey of Memory' booth area, displaying groundbreaking storage products tracing back to a century ago. This vividly showcased how the evolution of storage technology has influenced and empowered creators. Through this technological evolution, Lexar has remained at the forefront, consistently delivering products and services that exceed users' expectations.

ASUS became the first NVIDIA add-in card partner to debut a GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card with GDDR6 memory, away from its original memory type of GDDR6X. The RTX 4070 originally comes with 12 GB of 21 Gbps GDDR6X memory, yielding 504 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This ASUS card (which we hope is part of a larger refresh by NVIDIA to reduce costs of the RTX 4070), uses GDDR6 of a yet-unspecified speed. You do have 21 Gbps GDDR6 (non-X) in the market, but we imagine these to be expensive, which leaves NVIDIA with the 20 Gbps GDDR6 chip that's more readily available (which AMD uses in its RDNA 3 graphics cards), and 18 Gbps GDDR6 that the company itself uses in cards such as the RTX 4060 Ti. Any reduction in memory bandwidth would have to be compensated with increase in GPU clocks, but we don't see that happening here—the regular variant of the ASUS DUAL RTX 4070 GDDR6 EVO comes with the reference 2475 MHz maximum boost speed, while the DUAL OC variant only slightly cranks this up to 2520 MHz.

Innodisk, a leading global AI solution provider, continues to push the boundaries of innovation with the launch of its cutting-edge Compute Express Link (CXL) Memory Module, which is designed to meet the rapid growth demands of AI servers and cloud data centers. As one of the few module manufacturers offering this technology, Innodisk is at the forefront of AI and high-performance computing.

The demand for AI servers is rising quickly, with these systems expected to account for approximately 65% of the server market by 2024, according to Trendforce (2024). This growth has created an urgent need for greater memory bandwidth and capacity, as AI servers now require at least 1.2 TB of memory to operate effectively. Traditional DDR memory solutions are increasingly struggling to meet these demands, especially as the number of CPU cores continues to multiply, leading to challenges such as underutilized CPU resources and increasing latency between different protocols.

COLORFIRE has introduced the new Aries series memory modules. The new Aries memory will be sold in kits, with the main specifications being DDR4 3600 8 GB x2 and 16 GB x2, all with a timing of CL16. It also includes DDR5 variants, offering DDR5-6000 16 GB x2 and 6400 16 GB x2 at different frequencies. The Aries memory, positioned above the previously released Scorpio series, features optimized timing and the addition of DDR5 standards. By incorporating zodiac elements into the memory design, COLORFIRE is continuing to experiment with its product offerings.

COLORFIRE, a brand by Chinese hardware maker COLORFUL, is tailored to cater to younger users and a range of different styles. The products align with diverse elements like cute, anime, and trendy lifestyle themes. COLORFIRE has successfully captivated users with its "Cyber Rua Cat" theme, launching the highly popular MEOW series, which includes VGA, motherboards, memory, SSDs, and a full range of peripherals such as speakers and headphones.

V-COLOR is set to revolutionize the future of memory technology with the launch of the world's first RGB DDR5 O CUDIMM (High Speed Overclocked CUDIMM). This groundbreaking innovation for the next-generation desktop platform, offering unmatched speeds and efficiency for desktop applications. This memory module has a new heatsink patent (Patent No. 113208127) to increase heat dissipation efficiency to a new level, and the introduction of the exclusive light guide rod patented coating technology (Patent No. M653290) allows the light guide rod to attract attention regardless of whether it has RGB effects or not.

The DDR5 Clocked Unbuffered Dual Inline Memory Module (CUDIMM) technology dynamically adjusts clock frequency and voltage based on workload and system conditions. This cutting-edge capability results in faster data transmission, lower power consumption, and enhanced stability, making it a game-changer in the industry.

TrendForce reports that memory module makers have been aggressively increasing their DRAM inventories since 3Q23, with inventory levels rising to 11-17 weeks by 2Q24. However, demand for consumer electronics has not rebounded as expected. For instance, smartphone inventories in China have reached excessive levels, and notebook purchases have been delayed as consumers await new AI-powered PCs, leading to continued market contraction.

This has led to a weakening in spot prices for memory products primarily used in consumer electronics, with Q2 prices dropping over 30% compared to Q1. Although spot prices remained disconnected from contract prices through August, this divergence may signal potential future trends for contract pricing.

Micron has been on a spending spree in Taiwan, where the company has been looking for new facilities. Micron has agreed to buy no less than three LCD plants from display maker AUO, which are located in the central Taiwanese city of Taichung. Micron is looking at paying NT$ 8.1 billion (~US$253.3 million). Initially, Micron was interested in buying another plant in Tainan from Innolux, but was turned down, so Micron turned to AUO for the purchases. Earlier this year, TSMC spent NT$17 billion (~US$531.6 million) to buy a similar facility from Innolux, but it seems that Innolux wasn't willing to part with any more facilities this year.

The three AUO plants are said to have produced LCD colour filters and the two of the plants had closed for production earlier this month. However, it appears that for some reason, the plant that is still in operation, will be leased by AUO and the company will continue production of colour filters in the factory. The larger plant measures 146,033 square metres, with the smaller measuring 32,500 square metres. As for Micron's plans, not much is known at this point in time, but the company has announced that it's planning on using at least some of the space for front-end wafer testing and that the new plants will support its current and upcoming DRAM production fabs in Taichung and Taoyuan, which the company is currently expanding. Market sources in Taiwan are quoted as saying that the focus will be on HBM memory, due to the high demand from various AI products in the market, least not from NVIDIA. The deal is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

As the leading global provider of premium storage solutions, Team Group Inc. aligns with international trends and prioritizes environmental sustainability by integrating eco-friendly practices into its core products and developing a wide selection of green products for its customers. Today, Team Group launched the T-FORCE DELTA RGB ECO DDR5 Desktop Memory and the Team Group PD20 ECO Mini External SSD, as a part of the ECO series that highlights the concept of circular economy. Both products feature PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics and are packaged with FSC-certified materials, fully embodying Team Groupp's commitment to green innovation from product technology to packaging and fostering the spirit of environmental sustainability.

After nearly 15 years of legal disputes, Infineon Technologies and Qimonda's insolvency administrator have reached a final settlement, with Infineon agreeing to pay €800 million. The conflict centered on the valuation of memory business assets that Infineon spun off in 2006 to create Qimonda, once a global leader in memory chip manufacturing with 13,500 employees worldwide.

Qimonda's journey was short-lived. It debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2006 but filed for insolvency by January 2009. Legal proceedings initiated in 2010 focused on claims that Qimonda's balance sheet was underfunded during the spin-off. The insolvency administrator alleged that the transferred memory business was undervalued, leading to a lawsuit for reimbursement of the share value discrepancy.

Researchers at Fraunhofer IAF have made a significant advance in semiconductor materials by successfully fabricating aluminum yttrium nitride (AlYN) using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). AlYN, known for its outstanding properties and compatibility with gallium nitride (GaN), shows great potential for energy-efficient, high-frequency electronics. Previously, AlYN could only be deposited via magnetron sputtering, but this new method opens the door to diverse applications. Dr. Stefano Leone from Fraunhofer IAF highlights AlYN's ability to enhance performance while reducing energy consumption, making it vital for future electronics.

In 2023, the team achieved a 600 nm thick AlYN layer with a record 30% yttrium concentration. They have since developed AlYN/GaN heterostructures with high structural quality and promising electrical properties, particularly for high-frequency applications. These structures demonstrate optimal two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) properties and are highly suitable for high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs).