Essencore KLEVV brought in a formidable lineup of new PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSDs and DDR5 memory for gamers and overclockers, at the 2023 Computex. The lineup is led by the KLEVV CRAS V RGB series of DDR5 memory that comes in high-end speeds of DDR5-6000 (30-36-36-76 @ 1.35 V), DDR5-6400 (32-38-38-78 @ 1.35 V), DDR5-7200 (34-44-44-84 @ 1.40 V), DDR5-7600 (36-46-46-86 @ 1.40 V), and DDR5-8000 (38-48-48-128 @ 1.55 V). These modules feature both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO SPD profiles. The KLEVV BOLT V series form the company's mid-range, offering speeds of DDR5-6000 (30-36-36-76 @ 1.35 V), DDR5-6400 (32-38-38-78 @ 1.35 V), and DDR5-6800 (34-40-40-80 @ 1.35 V). Both XMP 3.0 and EXPO are to be found even with these modules. The company interestingly also has standard modules for DDR5-4800 and DDR5-5600, which make do with just 1.1 V. We also spied KLEVV's odd-capacity 24 GB and 48 GB CRAS V RGB modules.

The storage lineup for Essencore is led by the KLEVV CRAS C950 PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD, and the CRAS C910 Gen 4 SSD. The CRAS C950 comes in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacities, and uses a Phison E26-series controller paired with 3D TLC NAND flash. The 1 TB variant offers up to 11.5 GB/s sequential reads, with up to 8.5 GB/s sequential writes, while the 2 TB and 4 TB models do up to 12 GB/s sequential reads, with up to 11 GB/s sequential writes. The drive uses a chunky passive aluminium heatsink to keep cool. The CRAS C910, on the other hand, comes both as a bare drive (without heatsink), and as the CRAS C910 RGB, where it features a heatsink with an RGB diffuser. The drive uses an InnoGrit IG5220 controller, comes in capacities of up to 1 TB, and offers speeds of up to 5 GB/s sequential reads, with up to 4.8 GB/s sequential writes.

Continuing to move Universal Flash Storage (UFS) technology forward, KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced sampling of new, higher performing UFS Ver. 4.0 embedded flash memory devices. These devices deliver fast embedded storage transfer speeds in a small package size and are targeted to a variety of next-generation mobile applications, including leading-edge smartphones. The improved performance of UFS products from KIOXIA enables these applications to take advantage of 5G's connectivity benefits, leading to faster downloads, reduced lag time and an improved user experience.

UFS Ver. 4.0 devices from KIOXIA integrate the company's innovative BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and a controller in a JEDEC-standard package. UFS 4.0 incorporates MIPI M-PHY 5.0 and UniPro 2.0 and supports theoretical interface speeds of up to 23.2 gigabits per second (Gbps) per lane or 46.4 Gbps per device. UFS 4.0 is backward compatible with UFS 3.1.

Team Group unveiled its mighty Team Xtreem DDR5 memory for overclocking, at the 2023 Computex. These modules are designed such that their PCBs are shorter than their height, and instead of cramming RGB LEDs on top, the 2 mm-thick aluminium heat spreader turns into an extruded heatsink. Some of the higher speed versions of these run at DRAM voltages as high as 1.45 V, so the heatsink design should come in handy. The T-Force Xtreem comes in speeds ranging between DDR5-6400 and DDR5-8266, and in capacities ranging from 16 GB (2x 8 GB), going all the way up to 96 GB (2x 48 GB). The T-Force Xtreem RGB has an additional design element in the form of an acrylic RGB LED diffuser, although from the looks of it, this acrylic bit seems to be covering the fins of the heat spreader. It comes in the same speed-based and capacity based variants, as the regular Xtreem DDR5.

At the 2023 Computex, we caught CORSAIR's flagship PC memory line, the DOMINATOR Titanium DDR5 series. These are built to, well, dominate the overclocking and benchmark records scene, and come in several high-speed models, such as DDR5-8000 and DDR5-8266, and capacities as high as 192 GB (4x 48 GB kits). The company also has a limited batch of 500 "First Edition" kits, which feature a gold-on-white color scheme, and the company's highest grade of manual binning.

A defining feature about the DOMINATOR Titanium DDR5 series is their heat spreader design, which consists of 2 mm-thick aluminium making contact with the DRAM chips, which connect to an upper copper heatsink with RGB LEDs studded. The edges of the top have mount-holes, so a set of 2 or 4 of these DIMMs can be bolted onto the company's latest DHX cooling module. This is essentially a chunky slab of anodized aluminium that soaks up and dissipates heat from the DIMMs, and has slats that let the RGB lighting through. CORSAIR is backing these with lifetime warranties, and plans to launch them in July 2023.

CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast components for gamers, creators, and PC builders, today announced the latest addition to its award-winning memory line-up, DOMINATOR TITANIUM DDR5 memory. Built using some of the fastest DDR5 ICs alongside patented CORSAIR DHX cooling technology for improved overclocking potential, DOMINATOR TITANIUM continues the DOMINATOR legacy with stunning design and blazing performance.

Sporting an elegant, fresh new design and built using premium materials and components, DOMINATOR TITANIUM DDR5 memory will be available for both Intel and AMD platforms, supporting Intel XMP 3.0 when paired with 12th and 13th-Gen Core processors or AMD EXPO for Ryzen 7000 CPUs. These technologies enable easy overclocking in just a couple of clicks on compatible platforms.

Leading memory brand, Team Group, returns to COMPUTEX 2023 with the theme "DAZZLE．CHILL．INTEGRATE" to introduce six new products in the memory, cooling solution, and storage device categories. They will be unveiled for the first time at COMPUTEX (5/30-6/2), showcasing Team Group's latest cooling solutions and "aurora" RGB lighting tech as the highlights of the grand exhibition. This year's exhibition is split into two display areas for T-FORCE and T-CREATE's new products. In addition to a large gradient LED screen that will demonstrate T-FORCE's industry-leading RGB technology, there will be physical display areas for the new products, each of which will create an immersive interactive experience that displays the cooling and aurora theme of the exhibition. Attendees will be met with a visual feast of colorful lighting and cool tech.

T-FORCE XTREEM ARGB DDR5 Gaming Overclocking Memory is equipped with innovative dual light pipes which utilize black translucent acrylic and multi-optical designs to display a soft aurora-like flow of light. The matte heat spreader of the XTREEM ARGB DDR5 is made of high-quality 2 mm black aluminium alloy, which has undergone aluminium extrusion, CNC processing, sandblasting, and black anodizing, creating a unique material that combines the hardness and durability of basalt and the soft texture of black beach sand. It comes in a variety of frequencies starting from DDR5-7000 to DDR5-8266 and is specially designed for gamers after an extreme performance and dazzling RGB lighting.

As COMPUTEX once again opens its door, MSI, the world leader in gaming, content creation, business & productivity, and AIoT solutions, is all geared up to dominate the show floor with a full slate of new lineup and its Best Choice Award honorees. "We are thrilled to be back at COMPUTEX," said Sam Chern, MSI Vice President of Marketing. "We expect to see users' tech experiences reinvented and MSI is at the forefront. Our COMPUTEX 2023 lineup showcases the ultimate fusion of breakthrough technology and everlasting aesthetics that surpasses all limits and indulges global users with the best possible experience like never before."

This year, MSI themes its booth around The Leap to Singularity, envisioning a future in which the technological singularity brings forth superintelligence to improve human lives. Among the highlights on display will be the Raider GE78 HX Smart Touchpad, Stealth 16 and Creator Z17 laptops powered by up to 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics, making them powerhouses for gamers and creators alike.

ORIGIN PC, a leader in custom high-performance systems, today announced the launch of its new 14-inch, 40-Series powered laptops. The powerful EON14-S gaming laptop and NS-14 workstation laptop are available now. Gamers can rejoice as 40-Series gaming is now lightweight and portable. Enjoy the sights and buttery smooth frame-rates provided by next-gen hardware anywhere with the EON14-S. Streamers, content creators, and professionals now have access to an incredibly portable, yet powerful system to fuel their creative engine with an NS-14 laptop.

The EON14-S is a modern and reliable gaming machine that pushes a portable experience further than before without sacrificing performance. It can be equipped with up to an Intel Core i9-13900H 14-core processor, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, to 64 GB of DDR5 DRAM, and even 8 TB of storage. All while only 0.84 inches thin and 3.85 pounds light, it provides incredible speeds, frame rates, and connectivity to offer an immersive and full-fledged gaming experience on the go.

GeIL, one of the world's leading PC components & peripheral manufacturers today announced the latest Pristine R5 series as well as Spear R5 series server memory products, providing solutions not only for the needs of standard Registered DIMMs which fully complies with the JEDEC specifications but also the market of high-end applications which requires high-performance server memory.

GeIL stated that the popularity of online games and the metaverse brings not simply the growth momentum of the server market, related requirements such as the gaming service, the big data analysis, and AI applications also create the massive needs of cloud computing which customers are now asking for great performance rather than just focusing on stability, reliability and security when it comes to the server products. GeIL further pointed out that the demand for high-bandwidth and large-capacity server memory is therefore continuously and rapidly growing.

The Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) has been processing a bunch of trademark applications in recent weeks, submitted by Samsung Electronics Corporation. News outlets pointed out, earlier on this month, that the South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate was attempting to secure the term "Snowbolt" as a moniker for an unreleased HBM3P DRAM-based product. Industry insiders and Samsung representatives have indicated that high bandwidth memory (5 TB/s bandwidth speeds per stack) will be featured in upcoming cloud servers, high-performance and AI computing - slated for release later on in 2023.

A Samsung-focused news outlet, SamMobile, has reported (on May 15) of further trademark applications for next generation DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) products. Samsung has filed for two additional monikers - "Shinebolt" and "Flamebolt" - details published online show that these products share the same "designated goods" descriptors with the preceding "Snowbolt" registration: "DRAM modules with high bandwidth for use in high-performance computing equipment, artificial intelligence, and supercomputing equipment" and "DRAM with high bandwidth for use in graphic cards." Kye Hyun Kyung, CEO of Samsung Semiconductor, has been talking up his company's ambitions of competing with rival TSMC in providing cutting edge component technology, especially in the field of AI computing. It is too early to determine whether these "-bolt" DRAM products will be part of that competitive move, but it is good to know that speedier memory is on the way - future generation GPUs are set to benefit.

Ampere Computing today announced a new AmpereOne Family of processors with up to 192 single threaded Ampere cores - the highest core count in the industry. This is the first product from Ampere based on the company's new custom core, built from the ground up and leveraging the company's internal IP. CEO Renée James, who founded Ampere Computing to offer a modern alternative to the industry with processors designed specifically for both efficiency and performance in the Cloud, said there was a fundamental shift happening that required a new approach.

"Every few decades of compute there has emerged a driving application or use of performance that sets a new bar of what is required of performance," James said. "The current driving uses are AI and connected everything combined with our continued use and desire for streaming media. We cannot continue to use power as a proxy for performance in the data center. At Ampere, we design our products to maximize performance at a sustainable power, so we can continue to drive the future of the industry."

Last year, Crucial canned its Ballistix brand of gaming focused memory, but it seems like the company still wants to offer its customers a more premium product, as Crucial has just introduced its new Pro series of memory products. Crucial will offer its new Pro series in both DDR5 and DDR4 flavours at either DDR5-5600 or DDR4-3200 speeds. It should be noted that the DDR4 modules still rely on a green PCB, while the DDR5 modules get the same black PCB as Crucial's regular DDR5 modules. Beyond the heatsink, there isn't much that differs between the Pro series and Crucial's regular modules, but there is one thing that might matter to potential buyers.

Crucial has added support for AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0 to its Pro series of modules. In the case of AMD EXPO this only applies to DDR5 modules, whereas the DDR4 modules support Intel XMP 2.0, in this case a feature its standard DDR4 modules lack. This should make it easier for end users to take advantage of the extra performance offered by some of these modules. That said, as Crucial has stuck to JEDEC timings, taking the Pro DDR5-5600 UDIMM kit as an example, you end up with timings of 46-46-45-45 at 1.1 Volts, where competing products have timings in the range of 36-36-36-36, although usually at 1.25 Volts or higher. Even as far as JEDEC timing goes, Crucial has chosen the middle ground for DDR5 5600, as there is a timing option from JEDEC that supports 40-40-40-40, which would make more sense for a more premium product. Price wise, a 32 GB kit with two 16 GB modules of DD5-5600 modules carries an $11 price premium over Crucials standard modules, with a retail price of US$114.99 versus US$103.99, but there are better options out there at this price point.

The NAND memory industry is not in great shape at the moment, with the big three (Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix) having reported significant financial losses in this area recently. If you include Kioxia and Western Digital as part of this collective picture, a grand total of over $10 billion has been lost in the flash memory segment. According to DigiTimes Asia this week, Pua Khein-Seng - the chief executive officer of Phison Electronics Corporation - has warned that parts of the industry could collapse due to potential company bankruptcies.

Khein-Seng informed attendees at a press conference that forced NAND price cuts are not feasible in the current market environment, and that supply chains could be affected if related companies start to shutdown - due to operational losses. He expects 3D NAND manufacturers to cutback on output in order to soften the market, and unit price increases are also a possibility. Phison has experienced a drop in revenues for the first quarter of 2023, but the CEO insists that his company is not willing to cutback on research and development costs - 80% of its annual expense budget will be invested in future projects. Khein-Seng states that rival companies have reduced spending on R&D by 20%, yet Phison remains committed to its clients by providing cutting edge technology (for example the E26 SSD memory controller).

The latest AMD AGESA 1.0.0.7 AM5 platform microcode that the company recently released to improve stability of machines powered by Ryzen 7000X3D processors, more importantly, prevent them from physical damage due to increased voltage in voltage-assisted overclocking scenarios; reportedly impacts memory overclocking capabilities, too, reports g01d3nm4ng0. The "PROCHOT Control" and "PROCHOT Deassertation Ramp" toggles that were available in the oldest versions of AGESA for AM5, are not available in the latest production AGESA.

The memory compatibility is also affected. AMD recently added support for odd-density DDR5 memory modules, such as 24 GB and 48 GB, which make up 48 GB and 96 GB 2-module (dual-channel, four sub-channel) kits. It is possible to max out 192 GB, but while the older AGESA 1.0.0.6 allowed memory frequencies of up to DDR5-6000 with SoC voltage of 1.3 V, the newer AGESA is only stable up to DDR5-4400 at this density. To be fair, most motherboards advertise maximum memory frequencies of under DDR5-4800 for memory configurations where there are two DIMMs per channel, and both DIMMs are dual-rank (so four dual-rank DIMMs in all, which is the least optimal memory configuration from a memory frequency and latency perspective).

The new Sabrent Rocket CFX Type B (CF-XXIT) memory cards are here to give you the performance, endurance, and capacity you deserve. These cards come in at up to 2 TB with read/write speeds of up to 1,800/1,700 MB/s and sustained writes of up to 1,300 MB/s so that you are never slowed down. Massive IOPs let you quickly access any and all of your files rapidly. Capture and work with your HD content - videos, photographs, audio, and more - at high speeds, all in a convenient form factor. Don't settle for inferior storage media for your professional videography and photography needs.

Match your artistic vision. Revel in your element. Sabrent hardware is selected for performance, power efficiency, and reliability. These memory cards contain SSD-quality hardware with a powerful controller and fast flash memory for the smoothest takes. Features such as TRIM, LDPC, ECC, SmartRefresh, and wear-leveling keep your storage fast and enduring. Lose yourself in the moment and capture your vision. Who has time to deal with undependable, slow storage? Get the quality you deserve. Get Sabrent.

NEO Semiconductor, a leading developer of innovative technologies for 3D NAND flash and DRAM memory, today announced the launch of its ground-breaking technology, 3D X-DRAM. This development is the world's first 3D NAND-like DRAM cell array that is targeted to solve DRAM's capacity bottleneck and replace the entire 2D DRAM market. Relevant patent applications were published with the United States Patent Application Publication on April 6, 2023.

"3D X-DRAM will be the absolute future growth driver for the Semiconductor industry," said Andy Hsu, Founder and CEO of NEO Semiconductor and an accomplished technology inventor with more than 120 U.S. patents. "Today I can say with confidence that Neo is becoming a clear leader in the 3D DRAM market. Our invention, compared to the other solutions in the market today, is very simple and less expensive to manufacture and scale. The industry can expect to achieve 8X density and capacity improvements per decade with our 3D X-DRAM."

The 43rd edition of the Symposium on VLSI Technology & Circuits, held annually in Kyoto Japan, is charting the way forward for the devices of the future. Held between June 11-16, 2023, this year's symposium will see structured presentations, Q&A, and discussions on some of the biggest technological developments in the logic chip world. The lead (plenary) sessions drop a major hint on the way the wind is blowing. Leadning from the front is an address by Suraya Bhattacharya, Director, System-in-Package, A*STAR, IME, on "Multi-Chiplet Heterogeneous Integration Packaging for Semiconductor System Scaling."

Companies such as AMD and Intel read the tea-leaves, that Moore's Law is buckling, and it's no longer economically feasible to build large monolithic processors at the kind of prices they commanded a decade ago. This has caused companies to ration their allocation of the latest foundry node to only the specific components of their chip design that benefit the most from the latest node, and identify components that don't benefit as much, and disintegrate them into separate dies build on older foundry nodes, which are then connected through innovative packaging technologies.

v-color Technology Inc., an industry leader in cutting-edge memory solutions, proudly unveils the game-changing 48 GB (24 GB x2) DDR5-8200 38-52-52-130 Manta XPrism RGB Extreme OC Memory in a range of 7200 to 8200 MHz kits. This state-of-the-art memory module is meticulously designed to cater to the evolving needs of gamers, overclockers, and enthusiasts who demand top-notch performance, reliability, and aesthetics.

The Manta XPrism RGB 48 GB (24 GB x2) DDR5-8200 CL38 Extreme OC Memory is crafted with the latest technological advancements, delivering unbeatable speed and efficiency. Featuring a 48 GB memory capacity and a staggering 8200 MHz frequency, this DDR5 memory module is poised to transform the performance of any high-end gaming or workstation system.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is proud to announce the release of its latest DDR4 DRAM, the Heatsink Storming-V series. The DDR4 DRAM, Storming-V series, is a highly versatile memory module that caters to a wide range of users, from casual content consumption such as watching TV shows, movies and listening to music, to avid gamers who demand engaging stories, stunning graphics, and solid gameplay. Moreover, pro gamers who prioritize speed and performance will find the Heatsink Storming-V series highly appealing.

With its optimized memory speed, timing, voltage settings, and unique design that offers overclocking capabilities, ultra-fast data access, and optimal cooling, the Heatsink Storming-V series delivers unmatched performance and reliability. Therefore, whether you are a casual user or a pro gamer, the Storming-V series is the perfect memory module that caters to your specific needs.

MSI has been in close contact with the AMD and has referred to their official technical guidance to provide users with a safer and more optimized hardware environment. To achieve this goal, MSI will release a new list of BIOS updates specifically for the AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPU.

According to AMD's design specifications, the Ryzen 7000X3D series CPU does not fully support overclocking or overvoltage adjustments, including CPU ratio and CPU Vcore voltage. However, AMD EXPO technology can be used to optimize memory performance by appropriately increasing the CPU SoC voltage to ensure system stability when operating at higher memory frequencies.

Yesterday SK Hynix reported its Q1 2023 results and to say that they were abysmal is being kind, as the company reported a 3.4 trillion won operating loss, or just over US$2.5 billion. That's no small hit to take for any company, especially when it's only the performance for a single quarter. However, SK Hynix is apparently trying to see its situation from a positive perspective and believes that the memory chip market will rebound in the second half of this year. The positive outlook isn't just based on what SK Hynix believes though, as various analysts and securities companies believe in an upswing in the second half of the year.

That said, Micron, one of SK Hynix main competitors, has a more drab outlook for the remainder of 2023 and is expecting a tough year ahead. SK Hynix is expecting production cuts by itself, Micron and Samsung to start to take effect sometime in the second quarter this year, which should see inventory drop to more normal levels for all three companies. SK Hynix is also expecting to see a higher demand for DDR5 DRAM later this year, especially in the mobile and server market space. Finally, SK Hynix is hoping that its customers will buy higher density memory products this year, replacing older, lower density solutions, be that DRAM or NAND flash related. SK Hynix is expecting to launch its Gen 5 10 nm DRAM and 238-layer NAND sometime next year, which the company is also hoping will bring more income to its coffers, but the company still has to make it through the rest of 2023 first.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. The Company posted KRW 63.75 trillion in consolidated revenue, a 10% decline from the previous quarter, as overall consumer spending slowed amid the uncertain global macroeconomic environment. Operating profit was KRW 0.64 trillion as the DS (Device Solutions) Division faced decreased demand, while profit in the DX (Device eXperience) Division increased.

The DS Division's profit declined from the previous quarter due to weak demand in the Memory Business, a decline in utilization rates in the Foundry Business and continued weak demand and inventory adjustments from customers. Samsung Display Corporation (SDC) saw earnings in the mobile panel business decline quarter-on-quarter amid a market contraction, while the large panel business slightly narrowed its losses. The DX Division's results improved on the back of strong sales of the premium Galaxy S23 series as well as an enhanced sales mix focusing on premium TVs.

KLEVV, an emerging memory brand introduced by Essencore, is excited to unveil two new high performance DDR5 overclocking memory, the CRAS V RGB and the BOLT V. Designed to cater to a wide range of users, the CRAS V RGB and BOLT V DDR5 memory empower all aspects of computational requirements. They deliver outstanding performance on the latest AMD and Intel platforms, from gaming to content creation, with Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO overclocking features. Furthermore, the CRAS V RGB and BOLT V DDR5 memory are fully battle-hardened, passing the QVL tests required by major motherboard manufacturers. With strictly selected memory chips and meticulous manufacturing processes, they ensure the highest level of reliability, tailored to perform multitasking operation effortlessly.

Released under KLEVV's flagship memory range, the CRAS V RGB memory features modern design refined with exquisite attention to detail. Precision crafted aluminium heatsink highlighted by signature RGB lights visible on both top and fine gaps on the sides make for a sight to behold. The RGB lights are fully customizable and controllable with third-party software provided by world-renown motherboard manufacturers like ASUS, ASROCK, Gigabyte, and MSI with corresponding hardware, serving as the centerpiece of any build. The 32 GB (16 GB x2) 288 Pin DDR5 unbuffered DIMM kits are available in four base clock options starting at 6000MT/s, 6400MT/s, 7200MT/s, 7600MT/s, and extending up to blazing-fast 8000 MT/s.

It seems like the long boot times that have plagued MSI's X670 and B650 motherboards might soon be nothing but a bad memory, as the company has issued UEFI updates for its motherboards that are said to cut the boot times in half. The company has added what it calls "Memory Context Restore" in the new UEFI releases, which speeds up the boot times significantly. MSI didn't provide any details as to what the feature does, but according to a post on MSI's forum, it is meant to avoid retraining of the RAM and is a feature that MSI had offered on past AMD platforms.

The chart below shows the boot times using two 16 GB DDR5-6000 modules from Kingston with EXPO and with Memory Context Restore enabled, the boot time goes from 43 to 22 seconds. The specific test system was using MSI's own MAG X670E Tomahawk WiFi motherboard, paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU.If you have an MSI X670 or B650 motherboard and want to take advantage of the new improved boot times, head over to MSI's website and downloaded the latest UEFI version for your motherboard.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) sources, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) has been plotting to manufacture its advanced 3D NAND flash using locally sourced equipment. As the source notes, YMTC has placed big orders from local equipment makers in a secret project codenamed Wudangshan, named after the Taoist mountain in the company's home province of Hubei. Last year, YTMC announced significant progress towards creating 200+ layer 3D NAND flash before other 3D NAND makers like Micron and SK Hynix. Called X3-9070, the chip is a 232-layer 3D NAND based on the company's advanced Xtacking 3.0 architecture.

As the SCMP finds, YTMC has placed big orders at Beijing-based Naura Technology Group, maker of etching tools and competitor to Lam Research, to manufacture its advanced flash memory. Additionally, YTMC has reportedly asked all its tool suppliers to remove all logos and other marks from equipment to avoid additional US sanctions holding the development back. This significant order block comes after the state invested 7 billion US Dollars into YTMC to boost its production capacity, and we see the company utilizing those resources right away. However, few industry analysts have identified a few "choke points" in YTMC's path to independent manufacturing, as there are still no viable domestic alternatives to US-based tool makers in areas such as metrology tools, where KLA is the dominant player, and lithography tools, where ASML, Nikon, and Canon, are noteworthy. The Wuhan-based Wudangshan project remains secret about dealing with those choke points in the future.