MSI, the world-leading gaming & creator laptop brand, today announced its groundbreaking RTX 50 Series laptops at MSIology: Dragonforged Dominance Launch Event - a new lineup inspired by the ancient Norse myth of Yggdrasil. Embracing the themes of renewal and resilience, MSI's innovative devices integrate three core principles: innovative technology, luxurious aesthetics, and extreme performance.

Dragonforged Dominance Launch Event
"Much like the mythic World Tree that connects the nine realms, our new laptops are designed to meet diverse user expectations—from immersive gaming to high-end professional work" said Steven Yang, MSI Notebook Regional Sales & Marketing Manager.

ASRock, a global leader in motherboards, graphics cards, mini PCs, power supplies, and gaming monitors, has observed reports on Reddit from users experiencing unexpected boot issues and error codes when using ASRock AM5 motherboards paired with minority proportion of AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. To enhance user experience, ASRock promptly released the latest 3.20 Beta BIOS for its AM5 series motherboards, further improving AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors boot issues.

Users can download and install the BIOS from the official ASRock website or use the BIOS Flashback function on their motherboard for a quick update. ASRock also promises to continue enhancing the compatibility of its products.

MSI is pleased to announce support for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors, built on the Zen 5 architecture and featuring AMD's cutting-edge 2nd generation AMD 3D V-Cache technology. This innovative technology is designed to significantly increases the cache size, allowing faster data access and improved performance. Engineered to deliver exceptional performance, these processors meet the demands of even the most intensive gaming and content creation workloads.

At the heart of this experience is the MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE motherboard, which sets a new standard with its innovative design and robust features. The Dynamic Dashboard III, a 3.99-inch full-color LCD, offers real-time hardware monitoring, troubleshooting, BIOS update status, clock display, and personalization options, enhancing user experience and system control. MSI's EZ Link design complements this, streamlining cable management by consolidating the front panel, fan, and RGB headers into the EZ Bridge and EZ Control Hub, ensuring a cleaner build and simplified installation process.

Corsair today launched the new edition of its celebrated Vengeance Gaming PCs, featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards paired with Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors. Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity with full ray tracing, further reduces latency with Reflex 2 technology, multiplies performance with NVIDIA DLSS, generates images at unprecedented speed, and unleashes your creativity with NVIDIA Studio.

Vengeance PCs with GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs are NVIDIA NIM-ready RTX AI PCs, supporting the latest NIM microservices—optimized AI models for language, speech, vision, content generation, and more. These systems enable enthusiasts and developers to build AI assistants, productivity plug-ins, and innovative content creation workflows with peak performance.

A fake AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor was recently discovered through AMD's after-sales service inspection in China after a customer reported their CPU wouldn't boot. The counterfeit unit revealed several technical discrepancies that distinguish it from genuine processors, though these differences are difficult to spot without detailed examination. While authentic Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors use PCB number 33050, the counterfeit unit featured PCB number 32546—a designation typically associated with Ryzen 7000 series R7 or R9 processors. This suggests the counterfeiters may be repurposing older generation chips or PCBs to create fake 9000 series processors. The physical appearance of the counterfeit unit showed additional inconsistencies.

Genuine Ryzen 9000 series processors feature a distinctive blue PCB, while the fake unit displayed a dark green coloration characteristic of older models. Component patches adjacent to the PCB also failed to match the standard configuration of the Ryzen 9000 series. In a notable error, some counterfeit units were mislabeled as "Ryzen 9 9800X3D"—a model number that doesn't exist in AMD's product lineup. For comparison, legitimate Ryzen 7 9800X3D units can be identified by their blue-tinted PCB, while older models like the R9 7900X and R7 7700X feature dark green PCBs. The information was initially shared on Chiphell by sources within the PCB manufacturing industry, who provided side-by-side comparisons of authentic and counterfeit units. AMD's after-sales service has confirmed that processors purchased outside official distribution channels will not receive warranty support or service protection. Buyers should buy CPUs only thought official sale distributors to avoid such cases.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, PC peripherals, and IPC solutions, introduces the B850MT-E PRO motherboard, designed to deliver exceptional performance for office professionals and casual use. The BIOSTAR B850MT-E PRO motherboard is designed to meet the diverse needs of various users, offering a perfect blend of performance and reliability. Built on AMD 's B850 chipset, this motherboard combines superior features at an affordable price. It supports the latest AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series processors, enabling seamless multitasking and efficient power management.

The B850MT-E PRO is expertly engineered for versatility, making it the definitive solution for office professionals, small businesses, and system integrators. It guarantees stable and efficient performance for everyday tasks and document management. With BIOSTAR's renowned 55 A Dr. MOS and Digital PWM technology, you can expect steady power delivery that ensures consistent performance and enhanced durability, even during extended work sessions.

Thanks to the informative breakdown by Chips and Cheese, we are learning that AMD's latest Ryzen AI processors for laptops, codenamed "Strix Halo," utilize a parallel "sea of wires" interconnect system between their chiplets, replacing the SERDES (serializer/deserializer) approach found in desktop Ryzen models. The processor's physical implementation consists of two Core Complex Dies (CCDs), each manufactured on TSMC's N4 (4 nm) process and containing up to eight Zen 5 cores with full 512-bit floating point units. Notably, the I/O die (IOD) is also produced using the N4 process, marking an advancement from the N6 (6 nm) process used in standard Ryzen IODs on desktops. The key change lies in the inter-chiplet communication system. While the Ryzen 9000 series (Granite Ridge) employs SERDES to convert parallel data to serial for transmission between chiplets, Strix Halo implements direct parallel data transmission through multiple physical connections.

This design achieves 32 bytes per clock cycle throughput and eliminates the latency overhead associated with serialization/deserialization processes. The parallel interconnect architecture also removes the need for connection retraining during power state transitions, a limitation present in SERDES implementations. However, this design choice necessitates additional substrate complexity due to increased connection density and requires more pins for external connections, suggesting possible modifications to the CCD design compared to desktop variants. AMD's implementation required more complex substrate manufacturing processes to accommodate the dense parallel connections between chiplets. The decision to prioritize this more challenging design approach was driven by requirements for lower latency and power consumption in data-intensive workloads, where consistent high-bandwidth communication between chiplets is crucial.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, unveils the new generation of Intel B860 and AMD B850 series motherboards at CES 2025. These new series are designed to unleash the performance of the latest Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen processors by leveraging AI-enhanced technology and user-friendly design for a seamless gaming and PC-building experience. Equipped with all digital power and enhanced thermal design, GIGABYTE B800 series motherboards are the gateway to mainstream PC gamers.

GIGABYTE achieved the remarkable milestone of claiming the highest market share on X870 series motherboards due to fully supporting AMD Ryzen 5 7000 and 9000 series X3D processors. The new B800 series motherboards are also adopted with ultra-durable and high-end components and the revolutionary AI suite, D5 Bionics Corsa, integrates software, hardware, and firmware to boost DD5 memory performance up to 8600 MT/s on AMD B850 models and 9466 MT/s on Intel B860 motherboards. The AI SNATCH is an exclusive AI-based software for enhancing DDR5 performance with just a few clicks. Meanwhile, the AI-Driven PCB Design ensures low signal reflection for peak performance across multiple layers through AI simulation. Plus, HyperTune BIOS integrates AI-driven optimizations to fine-tune the Memory Reference Code on Intel B860 series motherboards for high-demand gaming and multitasking. Specially built for AMD Ryzen 9000 series X3D processors, GIGABYTE applies X3D Turbo mode on AMD B850 series motherboards by adjusting core count to boost gaming performance.

Perhaps the biggest surprise at AMD's January 6 CES keynote address was the omission of the Radeon RX 9070 series desktop graphics cards, and the RDNA 4 graphics architecture. This was particularly because the CES Pre-brief slide-deck that AMD provided to press included materials about Radeon, but the actual presentation on stage lacked that content. Immediately after the event, AMD leadership, including David McAfee and Frank Azor agreed to sit down with a small group of tech journalists for a roundtable talk, and we had a seat. In this article, we will try to share what we can. The talk began with addressing the elephant in the room, about why AMD omitted Radeon-related announcements in Jack Huynh's keynote address and the company also confirmed that providing press with pre-brief Radeon info was intentional, and they knew that info wouldn't be included on the main stage.

AMD says that the 45-minute keynote address didn't provide sufficient time to properly announce the Radeon RX 9070 series and RDNA 4. The company pointed to other announcements it omitted in the keynote, such as the Ryzen Z2 line of gaming handheld chips. The company says that Radeon-related announcements, would have needed a much greater time-share in the keynote, to detail the change in the product naming (more on this later), where the RX 9070 series fit into the market, the advancements made by RDNA 4, and new technology such as FSR 4.

Corsair is pleased to announce that the award-winning VENGEANCE Gaming PCs, powered by high-performance Corsair components, now feature the game-changing performance, efficiency, and AI-powered graphics of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards. With world-class components in every category, each VENGEANCE PC delivers ultra-high-performance gaming, exceptional productivity, and expansive creative potential.

Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Multiply performance with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed, and unleash creativity with NVIDIA Studio. Plus, access NVIDIA NIM microservices - state-of-the-art AI models that let enthusiasts and developers build AI assistants, agents, and workflows with peak performance on NIM-ready systems.

At CES 2025, GIGABYTE unveiled an impressive lineup of motherboards designed for Intel and AMD platforms for gaming, content creation, and professional use, with support for the latest processors, PCIe 5.0, and Wi-Fi 7. GIGABYTE introduced several Z890 chipset motherboards for Intel's "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200S series. The flagship Z890 AORUS Master offers features like DDR5 memory overclocking, tool-free PCIe and M.2 installation, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. The compact Z890I AORUS Ultra targets Mini-ITX builds with its efficient 8+1+2 VRM solution and AI-enhanced BIOS profiles. Despite its small form factor, it delivers robust performance and thermal management. For those looking for aesthetics and reliability, the Z890 AORUS Elite WiFi 7 ICE impresses with a sleek white design, digital VRM capabilities, and simplified Wi-Fi EZ-Plug installation for improved connectivity. For more budget-friendly options, GIGABYTE showed B860M AORUS Elite WiFi6E ICE motherboard, too.

AMD is at the 2025 International CES, and we join them for a brisk run of what they have in store for us through the year. We expect some important announcements, such as the next-gen Radeon RX gaming GPUs powered by RDNA 4, a new flagship desktop processor powered by 3D V-Cache technology, HX-segment Ryzen 9000 series processors for gaming notebooks and portable workstations, the fabled "Strix Halo" chip AMD plans to surprise Apple with; and a fleshing out of its mobile processor portfolio.19:02 UTC: The show is underway.19:02 UTC: Jack Huynh takes centerstage.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today unveils its groundbreaking B850 and B840 series motherboards, introducing a new era of performance optimization and EZ-friendly design for the latest AMD Ryzen processors with full-line PCIe Gen 5 x16 graphics cards support.⁠

D5 Bionic Corsa: Redefining Memory Overclocking
At the heart of GIGABYTE's new B850/ B840 motherboard series lies the innovative D5 Bionic Corsa technology, a game-changing approach to memory performance. This breakthrough technology has achieved remarkable up to 8600 MT/s DDR5 speeds, setting a new standard for memory overclocking. Through the intelligent AORUS AI SNATCH software, users can now effortlessly enhance their system's performance with unprecedented ease. The AI-powered EXPO AI BOOST feature eliminates the traditional time-consuming trial and error process, delivering optimized memory profiles that balance performance and stability with just a few clicks.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd, the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is thrilled to release new low CAS latency memory kits featuring AMD EXPO overclock profile for the new AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors and performance X870 chipset motherboards. These new specifications include DDR5-6000 CL26 2x16GB/2x32GB kits and 2x 24 GB/2x 48 GB memory kits under the Trident Z5 Royal Neo, Trident Z5 Neo RGB, and Ripjaws M5 RGB Neo series.

Aiming to provide high-performance overclock DDR5 memory for PC enthusiasts, G.SKILL is releasing a new low CAS Latency memory kit at DDR5-6000 CL26-36-36-96 with kit capacity configuration of 32 GB (2x16GB), as well as the world's first 64 GB (2x32GB) kit capacity for this low latency specification. Featuring the AMD EXPO memory overclocking profile, these new specifications are built for selected X870 series motherboards and AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. The screenshot below demonstrates DDR5-6000 CL26 2x32GB kit's stability under the Memtest memory stress test on the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard and AMD Ryzen 9 9900X desktop processor.

MSI has unveiled a new performance-enhancing feature for its AM5 socket motherboards to improve DDR5 memory latency. Some latency issues that emerged following AMD's AGESA 1.2.0.2a microcode update, which added support for AMD's Ryzen 9000X3D processors, are now fixed. MSI has baked in its BIOS tuning to develop a new "Latency Killer" feature, which can be found in the advanced menu section, specifically within the overclocking submenu in BIOS of MSI X870E/X870 gaming motherboards like MEG X870E GODLIKE and MPG X870E CARBON WIFI. Users have three options to choose from: Auto, Enabled, and Disabled. While the default behavior of the Auto setting remains unclear, it is believed to be initially disabled to ensure system stability.

Recent benchmark testing of Uniko's Hardware using AIDA64 has demonstrated promising results, showing an eight nanosecond improvement in memory latency when the new feature is activated. The test was conducted using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor paired with an MPG X870E Carbon WiFi motherboard and DDR5-8000 CL38 memory, running in High-Efficiency mode at its maximum preset. Some Reddit users with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D on MSI Tomahawk X870 reported seeing 10-12 ns improvement from enabling the "Latency Killer." MSI motherboards complement its Latency Killer feature with additional memory optimization tools in the BIOS, including EXPO / A-XMP profiles, Memory Try It presets, High-Efficiency Mode, and comprehensive manual overclocking options for enthusiasts seeking maximum performance.

Minisforum is an easily recognizable brand that is well-regarded for its lineup of mini PCs. The MS-A1 is one such mid-range offering that boasts an AM5 socket, and the product is now available to configure with the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X with a 100 W TDP, which happens to be an absolute monstrosity of a desktop CPU with hefty cooling requirements.

The system was already available with a Ryzen 7 8700G, which was most likely performant enough for most people. The MS-A1 does not feature dedicated graphics, which is why the Ryzen 7 8700G was a great choice thanks to its relatively potent iGPU. However, it is no surprise that there are many workloads that demand raw CPU power over anything else, and the MS-A1 with the Ryzen 9 9950X will be an excellent option for such demanding scenarios. That said, since the system does not feature discrete graphics, the Radeon 610M iGPU found in the 9950X will simply not be able to keep up with any GPU-intensive workloads.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announced a groundbreaking update to its X3D Turbo Mode feature, providing users with an intuitive new method to activate advanced gaming performance optimization directly through the AORUS AI SNATCH software.

Users can now easily enable the X3D Turbo Mode with a streamlined process:

• Run live update on GCC to get the latest AORUS AI SNATCH version B24.11.19.01
• Navigate to the flag icon in the lower-left corner
• Click the flag icon to activate X3D Turbo Mode
• Confirm the pop-up window by clicking "OK"
• System will automatically restart to activate the feature

For users who wish to cancel the action, a "Discard" button is available to immediately halt the process.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and HiFi audio products, announces the COLORFIRE B650M-MEOW WIFI motherboard that supports the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors. COLORFUL is excited to expand the beloved COLORFIRE MEOW Series which now includes a motherboard for the AMD Ryzen platform. The COLORFIRE B650M-MEOW WIFI motherboard adopts the design and colors of Bobi the orange tabby cat making it easy to color-match with the existing COLORFIRE MEOW Series components. The COLORFIRE B650 MEOW motherboard is perfect for AMD enthusiasts and cat-lovers alike!

The COLORFIRE B650M-MEOW WIFI motherboard features the new MEOW UI BIOS Design, exclusive to the MEOW Series motherboards. The custom MEOW BIOS has been redesigned for improved usability, reducing menu levels from three to two for a more intuitive experience. Related sub-items are now grouped within the same menu, minimizing page navigation.

According to CRN, AMD is looking to make some cuts to its workforce of approximately 26,000 employees. The company hasn't announced a specific number, but in a comment to the publication AMD said that "as a part of aligning our resources with our largest growth opportunities, we are taking a number of targeted steps that will unfortunately result in reducing our global workforce by approximately 4 percent". In actual headcount numbers that should be just north of a thousand people that the company will let go. It's not clear which departments or divisions at AMD will be affected the most, but the cutback appears to be a response to AMD's mixed quarterly report.

AMD's statement also doesn't make it clear on exactly what the company will be putting its focus on moving forward, but CRN seems to suggest that the embedded and gaming business is where AMD is struggling. That said, it's not likely that AMD will put an increased focus on those businesses, but instead the company is more likely to invest more into its server products, least not to try and catch up with NVIDIA in the AI server market. According to CRN, AMD has also seen a strong demand in AI PCs, such as the Ryzen AI 300-series of mobile SoCs, so it's possible AMD will put an extra effort into is mobile product range. The Ryzen 9000-series is thankfully also doing well, so it's unlikely there will be any big cutbacks here. We already know that AMD is not going after NVIDIA with a new flagship GPU to compete with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5000-series flagship SKU, so it's possible that the company will cut back on some people in its consumer GPU team for the time being, but this should become clear come CES in January.

According to the market research firm Mercury Research, the desktop CPU market has witnessed a remarkable transformation, with AMD seizing a substantial 28.7% market share in Q3 of 2024—a giant leap since the launch of the original Zen architecture in 2017. This 5.7 percentage point surge from the previous quarter is a testament to the company's continuous innovation against the long-standing industry leader, Intel. Their year-over-year growth of nearly ten percentage points, fueled by the success of their Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series processors, starkly contrasts Intel's Raptor Lake processors, which encountered technical hurdles like stability issues. AMD's revenue share soared by 8.5 percentage points, indicating robust performance in premium processor segments. Intel, witnessing a decline in its desktop market share to 71.3%, attributes this shift to inventory adjustments rather than competitive pressure and still holds the majority.

AMD's success story extends beyond desktops, with the company claiming 22.3% of the laptop processor market and 24.2% of the server segment. A significant milestone was reached as AMD's data center division generated $3.549 billion in quarterly revenue, a new record for a company not even present in the data center in any considerable quantity just a decade ago. Stemming from strong EPYC processor sales to hyperscalers and cloud providers, along with Instinct MI300X for AI applications, AMD's acceleration of data center deployments is massive. Despite these shifts, Intel continues to hold its dominant position in client computing, with 76.1% of the overall PC market, held by its strong corporate relationships and extensive manufacturing infrastructure. OEM partners like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others rely heavily on Intel for their CPU choice, equipping institutions like schools, universities, and government agencies.

ASRock, the global leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, mini PCs, and gaming monitors, announced today that its AM5 series motherboards are fully compatible with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, maximizing its impressive gaming performance. This allows PC enthusiasts worldwide to be among the first to experience the exceptional capabilities brought by the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the first model released in the 9000X3D processor series. ASRock AM5 motherboards will continue to receive updates to ensure seamless compatibility with upcoming Ryzen 9000 Series X3D processors, delivering outstanding performance for gaming enthusiasts.

Users can download and install the latest AGESA 1.2.0.2a BIOS from the ASRock website or use the BIOS Flashback and Instant Flash features for an easy upgrade. ASRock recommends updating to the latest BIOS version promptly to ensure optimal system compatibility and performance.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, is proud to announce the launch of X3D Turbo Mode, a revolutionary BIOS feature designed to maximize gaming performance on X870E, X870, and 600 series motherboards with AMD Ryzen 7000 X3D and Ryzen 9000 series processors.⁠

GIGABYTE X3D Turbo Mode is a cutting-edge BIOS feature that pushes the boundaries of gaming performance. Empirical testing demonstrates that this innovative BIOS feature delivers tangible benefits to gamers, with performance increases of up to 35% for incoming Ryzen 9000 X3D processors and an astounding 20% for Ryzen 9000 non-X3D processors. Moreover, X3D Turbo Mode's unique optimization parameters allow even Ryzen 9000 non-X3D processors to achieve similar gaming performance levels as their Ryzen X3D counterparts. Experience smoother gameplay, higher frame rates, and reduced latency by GIGABYTE's BIOS wizardry-X3D Turbo Mode.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, announces its participation at GITEX GLOBAL 2024 on October 14 to 18. Come and check out Colorful latest products launched at Booth H15-D10 this year! Winner of various awards at COMPUTEX 2024, the iGame Neptune Series is designed with liquid cooling as the primary thermal solution. Its liquid cooling components use high-quality aluminium for CNC integrated molding, with a fully sealed water channel for cooling the processor. The motherboard and SSD are passively cooled with the large full-cover heatsink. A stacked water cooling design is employed for secondary cooling, featuring an adjustable bracket.

The graphics card of the iGame Neptune Gaming PC is vertically mounted for open display, and the PCIe adapter supports both water-cooled and air-cooled graphics cards. It comes in a pre-assembled kit, including the open-frame chassis with liquid cooling components, Neptune motherboard, processor, SSD, and power supply. Users can customize the other components such as the graphics cards, memory, SSDs, and others.

MSI, a leading brand in gaming hardware, is thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration with SEGA, a prominent Japanese game publisher, to bring gamers on an epic journey through the expansive world of Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Embark on an epic journey in Metaphor: ReFantazio with MSI's Cutting-Edge Motherboards
From 2024 October 11th to November 11th, MSI is offering a special promotion: purchase an X870(E) motherboard and receive a Metaphor: ReFantazio Standard Edition PC digital game key for free.

AMD today made four key announcements for its Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processors based on the "Zen 5" microarchitecture. These mainly aim to improve upon the products as originally launched in August. To begin with, AMD announced a 105 W cTDP (configurable TDP) mode for the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 7 9600X processors, with full warranty coverage. This setting can be enabled in the UEFI setup program of a motherboard running its latest version of UEFI firmware, which encapsulates the AGESA ComboAM5 PI 1.2.0.2 microcode. The setting raises the PPT (package power tracking) value of the 9700X and 9600X to 140 W, and treats them as if they were 105 W TDP processors. These chips were originally launched by AMD with 65 W (88 W PPT), and as reviewers quickly found out, unlocking power improves performance at stock clock speeds, as it improves boost frequency residence of these chips.

Next up, is the AGESA PI 1.2.0.2 microcode itself, which introduces the 105 W cTDP mode for the 9700X and 9600X along with warranty coverage, which we just talked about; plus works to improve the core-to-core latency on the Ryzen 9 9900X and Ryzen 9 9950X. These are processors with two CPU complex dies (CCDs), each with either 8 or 6 cores enabled. To the software, this is still a single-socket (1P) CPU with 12 or 16 cores. Although some awareness of the dual-CCD architecture is added to the OS scheduler to help it localize certain kinds of workloads (such as games) to a single CCD, reviewers noted that core-to-core latency on the dual-CCD chips was still too high, which should affect performance when a software's threads are migrating between cores, or if a workload is multithreaded, such as media encoding. AMD addressed exactly this with the new AGESA PI 1.2.0.2 update.