While semiconductors are exempt (for now at least) from Trump's tariffs, other components going into our PCs are not. According to Tom's Hardware, which spoke to multiple system integrators, tariffs are about to hike PC costs by at least 20%, with system integrators hurt the most. The tariff package imposes a 54% rate on Chinese goods, 34% on top of earlier tariffs, and significant duties on Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam products. These countries supply essential PC components such as SSDs, RAM, cases, and graphics cards. Wallace Santos, CEO of Maingear, highlighted the immediate effects on production: "Tariffs have a direct impact on our cost structure… which we have to pass down to our customers." He further explained that some suppliers have halted production in China, leading to scarcity and escalating costs. Santos estimates that prices for his PCs will rise "20 to 25% as a result of the tariffs."

Other company leaders express concern over the limited alternatives available. Kelt Reeves, CEO of Falcon Northwest, stated, "Sadly the overwhelming majority of PC component manufacturing is not done in the US and never has been. There's no US alternative supplier for most PC parts." Reeves added that even US-based system integrators are "facing skyrocketing costs" due to the tariffs, which are set to worsen an already challenging market situation caused by ongoing GPU shortages. Jon Bach, CEO of Puget Systems, shared his perspective in a recent blog post, noting that his company might absorb some costs to minimize consumer price increases. However, even before the latest tariff updates, Bach predicted a price rise of "20 to 45 percent by June." Critics of the tariffs warn of broader economic issues. Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, condemned the policy as "massive tax hikes on Americans that will drive inflation, kill jobs on Main Street, and may cause a recession for the US economy." With these tariffs taking effect, the PC industry faces a period of adjustment marked by increased costs and significant supply chain challenges.

AMD today announced the completion of its acquisition of ZT Systems, a leading provider of AI and general-purpose compute infrastructure for the world's largest hyperscale providers. The acquisition will enable a new class of end-to-end AI solutions based on the combination of AMD CPU, GPU and networking silicon, open-source AMD ROCm software and rack-scale systems capabilities. It will also accelerate the design and deployment of AMD-powered AI infrastructure at scale optimized for the cloud.

AMD expects the transaction to be accretive on a non-GAAP basis by the end of 2025. The world-class design teams will join the AMD Data Center Solutions business unit led by AMD Executive Vice President Forrest Norrod. AMD is actively engaged with multiple potential strategic partners to acquire ZT Systems' industry-leading U.S.-based data center infrastructure manufacturing business in 2025.

Super Micro Computer, Inc., a Total IT Solution Provider for AI/ML, HPC, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is announcing the availability of new single-socket servers capable of supporting applications that required dual-socket servers for a range of data center workloads. By leveraging a single-socket architecture, enterprises and data center operators can reduce initial acquisition costs, ongoing operational costs such as power and cooling, and reduce the physical footprint of server racks compared to previous generations of systems based on older processors.

"We are entering a new era of compute where energy-efficient and thermally optimized single-socket architectures are becoming a viable alternative to traditional dual-processor servers," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "Our new single-socket servers support 100% more cores per system than previous generations and have been designed to maximize acceleration, networking, and storage flexibility. Supporting up to 500-watt TDP processors, these new systems can be configured to fulfill a wide range of workload requirements."

Sarcina Technology, a global semiconductor packaging specialist, is excited to announce the launch of its innovative AI platform to enable advanced AI packaging solutions that can be tailored to meet specific customer requirements. Leveraging ASE's FOCoS-CL (Fan-Out Chip-on-Substrate-Chip Last) assembly technology, this platform includes an interposer which supports chiplets using UCIe-A for die-to-die interconnects, allowing for the delivery of cost-effective, customizable, cutting-edge solutions.

Sarcina Technology is on a mission to push the boundaries of AI computing system development by providing a unique platform that enables efficient, scalable, configurable and cost-effective semiconductor packaging solutions for AI applications. As AI workloads continue to evolve, there is a need for increasingly sophisticated packaging solutions capable of supporting higher computational demands. Sarcina's novel interposer packaging technology integrates leading memory solutions with high-efficiency interconnects. Whether prioritizing cost, performance or power-efficiency, Sarcina's new AI platform can deliver.

Accordance Systems Inc., a leading global provider of RAID box, unveiled its latest innovation, the ARAID M6 series RAID Box for PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2, at Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, from March 11-13. Accordance has been delivering easy, user-friendly RAID solutions worldwide for over a quarter of a century, providing businesses worldwide with instantaneous backup for their OS and data. The new M6 series aims to provide reliable, high-speed backup for edge computing and edge AI applications across industries.

High-Speed Data Backup and Storage for PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 Drives
Making its debut at Embedded World was Accordance's M6 series RAID box. This latest addition to the company's long-running ARAID product line supports multiple drive interfaces, including 2.5" SATA, SAS, U.2, U.3 and NVMe M.2 (PCIe Gen 4x4). The ARAID RAID box automatically backs up a PC's system and data into a second drive, ensuring critical systems keep running in the event of boot drive failure, OS corruption or ransomware attacks. The new M6 series is designed to support the high data speeds needed in AI applications growing more common across industries, such as finance, agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing. Keeping with the original vision for ARAID—a RAID box as easy to use as a point-and-shoot camera—the M6 series requires no IT knowledge to use, enabling all users to quickly upgrade their systems with RAID 1.

Giga Computing, a subsidiary of GIGABYTE, a global leader in IT technology solutions, is thrilled to announce its participation at CloudFest 2025, the world's premier cloud, hosting, and internet infrastructure event. As a key exhibitor, Giga Computing will highlight its latest innovations in AI, cloud computing, and edge solutions at the GIGABYTE booth. In line with its commitment to shaping the future of AI development and deployment, the GIGABYTE booth will showcase its industry-leading hardware and platforms optimized for AI workloads, cloud applications, and edge computing. As cloud adoption continues to accelerate, Giga Computing solutions are designed to empower businesses with unparalleled performance, scalability, and efficiency.

At CloudFest 2025, Giga Computing invites attendees to visit booth #E03 to experience firsthand its cutting-edge cloud computing solutions. From state-of-the-art hardware to innovative total solutions, a comprehensive suite of products and services designed to meet the evolving needs of the cloud industry are being showcased.

Supermicro, Inc. a Total IT Solution Provider for AI/ML, HPC, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is introducing a wide range of new systems which are fully optimized for edge and embedded workloads. Several of these new compact servers, which are based on the latest Intel Xeon 6 SoC processor family (formerly codenamed Granite Rapids-D), empower businesses to optimize real-time AI inferencing and enable smarter applications across many key industries.

"As the demand for Edge AI solutions grows, businesses need highly reliable, compact systems that can process data at the edge in real-time," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "At Supermicro, we design and deploy the industry's broadest range of application optimized systems from the data center to the far edge. Our latest generation of edge servers deliver advanced AI capabilities for enhanced efficiency and decision-making close to where the data is generated. With up to 2.5 times core count increase at the edge with improved performance per watt and per core, these new Supermicro compact systems are fully optimized for workloads such as Edge AI, telecom, networking, and CDN."

Baya Systems, a leader in system IP technology that empowers the acceleration of intelligent compute, and Semidynamics, a provider of fully customizable high-bandwidth and high-performance RISC-V processor IP, today announced a collaboration to boost innovation in development of hyper-efficient, next-generation platforms for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications.

The collaboration integrates Semidynamics' family of 64-bit RISC-V processor IP cores, known for their exceptional memory bandwidth and configurability, with Baya Systems' innovative WeaveIP Network on Chip (NoC) system IP. WeaveIP is engineered for ultra-efficient, high-bandwidth, and low-latency data transport, crucial for the demands of modern workloads. Complementing this is Baya Systems' software-driven WeaverPro platform, which enables rapid system-level optimization, ensuring that key performance indicators (KPIs) are met based on real-world workloads while providing unparalleled design flexibility for future advancements.

MAINGEAR, the leader in premium-quality, high-performance gaming PCs, today unveiled a variety of custom-configurable "50 Series" gaming desktops, featuring NVIDIA's newly revealed GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs. Available across seven gaming chassis options—MG-1, North, shroud, shroud Signature Edition, Rush, Force, and Zero, as well as all Workstations—these systems can be custom configured with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs and the latest CPU options from AMD and Intel to set a new benchmark for desktop gaming performance and customization.

Building on the excitement from CES 2025, MAINGEAR's "50 Series" also introduces non-APEX configurations of the hot new Rush and Force desktops, featuring 360 mm and 420 mm AIO coolers respectively, instead of open loop liquid cooling. Additionally, customers can order Rush desktops with custom chassis artwork for unparalleled personalization - as seen at CES. Available custom designs include Machina, Night Drive and Good Fortune.

Axiomtek - a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of innovative, highly efficient, and reliable industrial computer products - is thrilled to unveil an electrifying upgrade that its AIE100, AIE110, and AIE900 series edge AI systems are going to gear up to support NVIDIA's game-changing Super Mode for NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and Orin NX series modules, launching this year with the NVIDIA JetPack 6.2 software development kit release.

This enhancement catapults performance to new heights, supercharging groundbreaking applications like local AI chatbots, real-time computer vision, and advanced robotics. Axiomtek's commitment to pioneering edge AI solutions just got even stronger, marking another milestone in its strategic collaboration with NVIDIA, as a Preferred member of the NVIDIA Partner Network with an Embedded Compute competency.

OTK's premium prebuilt PC manufacturer Starforge Systems is launching their latest limited-edition case bundle featuring artwork inspired by the fan-favorite action-adventure sandbox game, Terraria. Officially licensed by Re-Logic, the brand-new line includes a custom design across a wide spectrum of products, including a desk mat, case, wall art, and THREE different plate light inserts.

Released in 2011, Terraria invites players to explore, craft, build, paint, and engage in combat with a variety of creatures in a procedurally generated 2D world. The Starforge Systems x Terraria PC features a beautiful pixel art Lian Li 011 EVO case and contains an AMD R5 7600X and an AMD Radeon XFX RX 7800 XT. It also features a 1 TB NV3 and 32 GB of DDR5 Ram.

HP Inc. and its subsidiaries ("HP") announced fiscal 2024 net revenue of $53.6 billion, down 0.3% (down 0.2% in constant currency) from the prior-year period. Fiscal 2024 GAAP diluted net EPS was $2.81, down from $3.26 in the prior-year and above the previously provided outlook of $2.62 to $2.72. Fiscal 2024 non-GAAP diluted net EPS was $3.38, up from $3.28 in the prior-year period and within the previously provided outlook of $3.35 to $3.45. Fiscal 2024 non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net EPS exclude after-tax adjustments of $564 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, related to restructuring and other charges, acquisition and divestiture charges, amortization of intangible assets, debt extinguishment costs, non-operating retirement-related credits, tax adjustments, and the related tax impact on these items.

Fourth quarter net revenue was $14.1 billion, up 1.7% (up 2.3% in constant currency) from the prior-year period. Fourth quarter GAAP diluted net EPS was $0.93, down from $0.97 in the prior-year period and above the previously provided outlook of $0.74 to $0.84. Fourth quarter non-GAAP diluted net EPS was $0.93, up from $0.90 in the prior-year period and within the previously provided outlook of $0.89 to $0.99. Fourth quarter non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net EPS excludes after-tax adjustments of $6 million, or nil per diluted share, related to restructuring and other charges, acquisition and divestiture charges, amortization of intangible assets, debt extinguishment costs, non-operating retirement-related credits, tax adjustments, and the related tax impact on these items.

CoolIT Systems (CoolIT), the world leader in liquid cooling systems for AI and high-performance computing, introduces the CHx1000, the world's highest-density liquid-to-liquid coolant distribution unit (CDU). Designed for mission-critical applications, the CHx1000 is purpose-built to cool the NVIDIA Blackwell platform and other demanding AI workloads where liquid cooling is now necessary.

"CoolIT created the CHx1000 to provide the high capacity and pressure delivery required to direct liquid cool NVIDIA Blackwell and future generations of high-performance AI accelerators," said Patrick McGinn, CoolIT's COO. "Besides exceptional performance, serviceability and reliability are central to the CHx1000's design. The single rack-sized unit is fully front and back serviceable with hot-swappable critical components. Precision coolant controls and multiple levels of redundancy provide for steady, uninterrupted operation."

Today, Hewlett Packard Enterprise announces its new high performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure portfolio that includes leadership-class HPE Cray Supercomputing EX solutions and two systems optimized for large language model (LLM) training, natural language processing (NLP) and multi-modal model training. The new supercomputing solutions are designed to help global customers fast-track scientific research and invention.

"Service providers and nations investing in sovereign AI initiatives are increasingly turning to high-performance computing as the critical backbone enabling large-scale AI training that accelerates discovery and innovation," said Trish Damkroger, senior vice president and general manager, HPC & AI Infrastructure Solutions at HPE. "Our customers turn to us to fast-track their AI system deployment to realize value faster and more efficiently by leveraging our world-leading HPC solutions and decades of experience in delivering, deploying and servicing fully-integrated systems."

Starforge Systems, the leading pre-built PC manufacturer preferred by streamers, has released CPU upgrades to several of their top gaming PCs this week including the Explorer Pro, Explorer Elite, Voyager Pro and Voyager Elite. Through the latest upgrades, the Explorer Pro and Explorer Elite, the sleek wood-trimmed PC geared toward creatives and gamers, now features Intel Arrow Lake via Intel Core Ultra 7 265K on the Explorer Pro ($2,6949.99) and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K on the Explorer Elite ($4,699.99). With these upgrades, customers can expect added productivity performance, making these the perfect workstation PCs for those looking for a PC that can do it all.

Additionally, the Voyager Pro ($3,299.99) and Voyager Elite ($4,699.99) have been upgraded to include AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, bringing added productivity and gaming performance to the powerhouse PCs. Starforge Systems' Voyager line can be customized with a variety of case print bundle designs including the recently released Dragonlight case.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today reaffirmed its commitment to product reliability and customer satisfaction by announcing long-term support (LTS) for its QTS 5.2 and QuTS hero h5.2 operating systems. This initiative is part of QNAP's rigorous software product version lifecycle management policy, which is designed to help users effectively manage their IT infrastructure with predictability and ease.

"As technology evolves, so does the need for a stable and reliable IT environment," said Tim Lin, Product Manager of QNAP. "By providing long-term support for QNAP NAS operating systems, we ensure that our users can continue to depend on QNAP products for their critical data storage needs without concern for frequent major upgrades or compatibility issues."

MSI is thrilled to introduce the MS-CF17, a powerful 3.5" Single Board Computer (SBC) tailored for a wide range of industrial applications. Powered by Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake-P processors, the MS-CF17 is ideal for use in industrial automation, edge computing, digital signage, and transportation systems. The MS-CF17 is designed to excel in harsh environments, offering fanless operation and a wide temperature range (-40°C to 70°C). This makes it perfect for settings where reliability and performance are crucial, such as in factory automation or outdoor digital signage installations. The board supports up to 32 GB of DDR5 memory and features built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics engine, making it suitable for graphics-intensive tasks like advanced imaging systems and AI-driven analytics.

Connectivity options are abundant, with four 2.5G LAN ports, four HDMI ports supporting quadruple independent displays, M.2 M key PCIe Gen 4 for storage and M.2 B/E key slots for expansions, allowing for seamless integration into complex systems. This flexibility makes the MS-CF17 a go-to solution for applications requiring high-speed data processing, multi-display setups, and real-time analytics. Additionally, the onboard TPM 2.0 provides enhanced security, crucial for applications where data protection is paramount.

As AI continues to revolutionize industries, enterprises are increasingly in need of infrastructure that is both cost-effective and available for rapid development and deployment. To meet this demand head-on, Intel today launched Xeon 6 with Performance-cores (P-cores) and Gaudi 3 AI accelerators, bolstering the company's commitment to deliver powerful AI systems with optimal performance per watt and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

"Demand for AI is leading to a massive transformation in the data center, and the industry is asking for choice in hardware, software and developer tools," said Justin Hotard, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center and Artificial Intelligence Group. "With our launch of Xeon 6 with P-cores and Gaudi 3 AI accelerators, Intel is enabling an open ecosystem that allows our customers to implement all of their workloads with greater performance, efficiency and security."

A few days ago, we reported on AMD's newest expansion plans for Serbia. The company opened two new engineering design centers with offices in Belgrade and Nis. We were invited to join the opening ceremony and got an exclusive interview with one of AMD's top executives, Andrej Zdravkovic, who is the senior vice president and Chief Software Officer. Previously, we reported on AMD's transition to become a software company. The company has recently tripled its software engineering workforce and is moving some of its best people to support these teams. AMD's plan is spread over a three to five-year timeframe to improve its software ecosystem, accelerating hardware development to launch new products more frequently and to react to changes in software demand. AMD found that to help these expansion efforts, opening new design centers in Serbia would be very advantageous.

We sat down with Andrej Zdravkovic to discuss the purpose of AMD's establishment in Serbia and the future of some products. Zdravkovic is actually an engineer from Serbia, where he completed his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in electrical engineering from Belgrade University. In 1998, Zdravkovic joined ATI and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a senior director. During his decade-long tenure, Zdravkovic witnessed a significant industry shift as AMD acquired ATI in 2006. After a brief stint at another company, Zdravkovic returned to AMD in 2015, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on the evolution of the graphics and computing industry.Here is the full interview:

OTK's premium prebuilt PC manufacturer Starforge Systems is rolling out its latest anime-inspired collaboration with Frieren: Beyond Journey's End! The brand new limited edition line includes a custom Frieren: Beyond Journey's End PC, case, desk mats, acrylic wall art, platelights and bundles that combine a PC/Case, desk mat, and wall art.

Fans of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End can choose from SIX different Acrylic Wall Art designs and SEVEN unique desk mat designs featuring art inspired by the beloved anime series. Additionally, Starforge Systems' customers can illuminate their PCs with FIVE special platelight designs.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today officially announced the release of the QTS 5.2 NAS operating system. A standout feature of this release is the debut of Security Center, which actively monitors file activities and thwarts ransomware threats. Additionally, system security receives a boost with the inclusion of support for TCG-Ruby self-encrypting drives (SED). Extensive optimizations have been implemented to streamline operations, configuration, and management processes, significantly elevating the overall user experience.

"We greatly appreciate the invaluable feedback provided by our dedicated QTS 5.2 beta testers, which has been instrumental in putting the finishing touches on this official release," said Tim Lin, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "QNAP remains committed to ensuring our data storage and management solutions stay current, offering dependable NAS storage solutions that meet the heightened expectations of today's users."

AMD today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire ZT Systems, a leading provider of AI infrastructure for the world's largest hyperscale computing companies. The strategic transaction marks the next major step in AMD's AI strategy to deliver leadership AI training and inferencing solutions based on innovating across silicon, software and systems. ZT Systems' extensive experience designing and optimizing cloud computing solutions will also help cloud and enterprise customers significantly accelerate the deployment of AMD-powered AI infrastructure at scale. AMD has agreed to acquire ZT Systems in a cash and stock transaction valued at $4.9 billion, inclusive of a contingent payment of up to $400 million based on certain post-closing milestones. AMD expects the transaction to be accretive on a non-GAAP basis by the end of 2025.

"Our acquisition of ZT Systems is the next major step in our long-term AI strategy to deliver leadership training and inferencing solutions that can be rapidly deployed at scale across cloud and enterprise customers," said AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. "ZT adds world-class systems design and rack-scale solutions expertise that will significantly strengthen our data center AI systems and customer enablement capabilities. This acquisition also builds on the investments we have made to accelerate our AI hardware and software roadmaps. Combining our high-performance Instinct AI accelerator, EPYC CPU, and networking product portfolios with ZT Systems' industry-leading data center systems expertise will enable AMD to deliver end-to-end data center AI infrastructure at scale with our ecosystem of OEM and ODM partners."

Anime fans rejoice! Starforge Systems has teamed up with Crunchyroll-licensed IP GLOOMY BEAR to unleash a fierce new addition to their Limited Edition lineup. Featuring designs inspired by Japanese artist and writer Mori Chack's fan-favorite anime series, "Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly," this ultra-pink (and deceptively vicious) lineup includes a small form factor PC and case, desk mats and acrylic wall art featuring the naughty grizzly bear anime fans know and love.

GLOOMY BEAR diehards can choose from 6 unique acrylic wall art designs and 5 different desk mat designs to upgrade their desktops with adorable ferocity. Established in 2000, GLOOMY BEAR has amassed a fanbase around the globe, and includes a range of licensed products and collaborations with some of the top Vtubers in the world.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is excited to introduce the MS-1315UE/MS-1315URE/MS-1345UE/MS-1345URE industrial application systems. The MS-1315UE/MS-1315URE/MS-1345UE/MS-1345URE systems are versatile solutions, offering two specifications with Intel Raptor Lake SoC Core i3 and i5 processors. They are designed to cater to a wide range of audiences, including system integration businesses, AIoT machines, industrial automation, edge computing, HMI, and digital signage Industries, ensuring superior adaptability to any specific requirements.

These application systems provide effective platforms for CRM SI builds. Users can utilize the efficient computing power they provide to seamlessly manage customer contact details, transaction history, accounts, and communications. BIOSTAR's MS-1315UE/MS-1315URE/MS-1345UE/MS-1345URE also support diverse processors for real-time control tasks and ensure reliable, high-speed communication for edge computing.

Cerebras Systems, the pioneer in accelerating generative AI, and G42, the Abu Dhabi-based leading technology holding group, today announced the build of Condor Galaxy 3 (CG-3), the third cluster of their constellation of AI supercomputers, the Condor Galaxy. Featuring 64 of Cerebras' newly announced CS-3 systems - all powered by the industry's fastest AI chip, the Wafer-Scale Engine 3 (WSE-3) - Condor Galaxy 3 will deliver 8 exaFLOPs of AI with 58 million AI-optimized cores. The Cerebras and G42 strategic partnership already delivered 8 exaFLOPs of AI supercomputing performance via Condor Galaxy 1 and Condor Galaxy 2, each amongst the largest AI supercomputers in the world. Located in Dallas, Texas, Condor Galaxy 3 brings the current total of the Condor Galaxy network to 16 exaFLOPs.

"With Condor Galaxy 3, we continue to achieve our joint vision of transforming the worldwide inventory of AI compute through the development of the world's largest and fastest AI supercomputers," said Kiril Evtimov, Group CTO of G42. "The existing Condor Galaxy network has trained some of the leading open-source models in the industry, with tens of thousands of downloads. By doubling the capacity to 16exaFLOPs, we look forward to seeing the next wave of innovation Condor Galaxy supercomputers can enable." At the heart of Condor Galaxy 3 are 64 Cerebras CS-3 Systems. Each CS-3 is powered by the new 4 trillion transistor, 900,000 AI core WSE-3. Manufactured at TSMC at the 5-nanometer node, the WSE-3 delivers twice the performance at the same power and for the same price as the previous generation part. Purpose built for training the industry's largest AI models, WSE-3 delivers an astounding 125 petaflops of peak AI performance per chip.