The CapFrameX GPU benchmarking tool from ComputerBase has recently been updated to fully support Intel's 12th Generation hybrid desktop processors including the flagship Core i9-12900K. The latest beta will now correctly read and display the telemetry from the high-performance (Golden Cove) and high-efficiency (Grace Mont) cores using the processors CPUID and its EAX register. The software can also list information about the integrated Xe-LP graphics if it is enabled in addition to the usual suite of load, voltage, power consumption, and temperature readings from the CPU. The changelog and a link to download the latest 1.6.6 beta can be found below.

With Intel's next-gen CPUs are coming soon, MSI is proud to announce that all our liquid cooler lines fully support the new socket type. Anytime CPUs change, sockets change, so we wanted to make upgrading the CPU an easy task with our coolers. To usher in a new generation of CPUs, we've made sure that our liquid coolers either have the socket already included or users can easily obtain one.

All MSI liquid coolers will support Intel's upcoming LGA 1700 socket. For the MEG CORELIQUID S Series, MAG CORELIQUID C Series, and MAG CORELIQUID P Series the socket is already included. If you have the MPG CORELIQUID K Series and MAG CORELIQUID R Series, you can click on the link below to find out how to obtain an LGA 1700 bracket. Please note that a Version 2 of the MPG CORELIQUID K Series and MAG CORELIQUID R Series will be launching in October. The Version 2 models will have the LGA 1700 bracket already included in the box. The Version 2 models will be clearly labeled and differentiated on every retailer to avoid confusion. You DO NOT need to sign up for a free bracket if you buy a Version 2 model.

Acer today debuted four new Chromebooks that meet a range of customer needs, ranging from home and business users to hybrid workers and students. Equipped with the latest processors and sought-after features such as reliable Wi-Fi 6, video conferencing technology and durable designs, the new Acer Chromebooks keep customers connected, productive and entertained.

"Acer's expansive line of Chromebooks means that we're well-equipped to meet any sort of customer need—from display size, processors, durability, connectivity and more," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. "Whether a customer needs a device for work, school or entertainment, we've got a Chromebook with exactly the features they're looking for."

Acer announced the ConceptD 7 SpatialLabs Edition laptop (CN715-73G), bringing eye-popping, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D to designers and developers. The mobile workstation supports creators with Acer SpatialLabs, a suite of optical, display and sensory technologies with real-time rendering capabilities to deliver a glasses-free stereoscopic 3D experience.It's also backed by the NVIDIA Studio ecosystem, featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPUs with exclusive driver technology that enhances creative apps for optimal levels of performance and reliability. Simply put, the new ConceptD 7 is an ideal laptop for 3D modeling, and also an excellent laptop for developers.

"Acer is dedicated to breaking the barriers between people and technology," said Jerry Kao, Co-COO, Acer Inc. "SpatialLabs is a great example of how we try to let that goal guide everything we do. From product and architecture CAD to projects with 3D graphics, designers can finally see their 3D creations in 3D during the workflow to make better judgments, rather than having to wait till afterwards. Developers are also empowered with new ways to tell stories and bring their ideas to life."

Acer announced that it has expanded its antimicrobial product portfolio to multiple product lines, covering both consumer and commercial audiences. From TravelMate laptops for those in the office to Enduro Urban devices for outdoor lovers, plus a host of accessories like a Works With Chromebook certified keyboard and mouse set, antimicrobial devices are now available to a significantly wider range of users.

The Acer TravelMate Spin P4 (TMP414RNA-51) is a business-grade convertible laptop that features Acer's Antimicrobial 360 Design - a silver ion antimicrobial agent covering high-touch surfaces such as the chassis, keyboard, touchpad, and more. Silver ions are highly reactive particles that dramatically reduce the growth rate of microbes upon contact. The laptop also offers powerful performance with up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 vPro processor, more than sufficient to run several programs, webpages and spreadsheets at once, while up to 1 TB of M.2 SSD storage offers plenty of space for all of a user's files and assets. The device features a spill-resistant keyboard, offering peace of mind during coffee-powered crunch periods, and its shock absorbent corners have been certified by an independent party as meeting MIL-STD 810H impact resistance standards.

Acer today announced the expansion of its Predator gaming portfolio with new Predator Orion 7000 series desktops, featuring powerful performance in a stunning design, and two smart 4K gaming projectors. Further enhancing the gaming experience is the Predator gaming desk, which offers two practical surface options and a convenient storage rack.

"Predator Orion 7000-series desktops are premium, powerful rigs for serious players who demand incredible performance from even the most demanding titles," said Jeff Lee, General Manager, Stationary Computing, IT Product Business, Acer Inc. "In order to offer that next-level performance, we're excited to be among the first companies bringing the new 12th Gen Intel Core CPUs to our product portfolio."

MSI, a world leader in high-performance and innovative computing solutions, has announced the PRO DP130 11th Business & Productivity PC. Featuring a powerful processor, MSI external graphics card, exclusive software, and various IO ports, the PRO DP130 11th is designed with efficiency and productivity in mind.

The MSI PRO DP130 Series was inspired by natural bamboo's perseverance, transformation & refinement. A bamboo tree lies dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth. The little plant was growing underground, developing a root system strong enough to support its potential outward growth in the fifth year and beyond. It sustained its life by growing slowly at the start to develop a strong foundation, then it will grow a hundred feet tall. This is the MSI PRO DP130 Series.

Microsoft on October 12 put out the first Cumulative Updates for the new Windows 11 operating system, since its October 5 release. The company's monthly update packages for Windows are unofficially dubbed "patch Tuesday" updates, as they're scheduled to come out on the second Tuesday of each month. Shortly after Windows 11 launch, AMD and Microsoft jointly discovered that Windows 11 is poorly optimized for AMD Ryzen processors, which see significantly increased L3 cache latency, and the UEFI-CPPC2 (preferred cores mechanism) rendered not working. In our own testing, a Ryzen 7 2700X "Pinnacle Ridge" processor, which typically posts an L3 cache latency of 10 ns, was tested to show a latency of 17 ns. This was made much worse with the October 12 "patch Tuesday" update, driving up the latency to 31.9 ns.

AMD put out a statement on social media, which surfaced on Reddit. The company stated that patches for the two issues have been developed, and specified dates on which they'll be released. The patch for the Preferred Cores (UEFI-CPPC2) bug will be released on October 21. Customers can request the patch even earlier. By "customers," AMD is probably referring to big enterprise customers running mission-critical applications on Threadripper or EPYC-powered workstations. The L3 cache latency bug will be fixed through the Windows Update channel, its release is scheduled for October 19.

Intel's VP and GM of Client Graphics Products and Solutions Roger Chandler has recently confirmed in an interview with Gadgets 360 that the companies upcoming Arc Alchemist desktop graphics cards will not ship with any software or hardware cryptocurrency mining inhibitors. Roger Chandler didn't rule out the possibility of Intel implementing such a lock in the future simply stating that it is not a priority for the company. Intel SVP and GM of Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Raja Koduri also noted that they cannot guarantee sufficient supply will be available to meet consumer demand. These graphics cards are not expected to be released until Q2 2022 with mobile versions coming earlier in Q1 so we cannot be sure how they will affect availability and pricing for the general GPU market. The full interview which also covers reference board designs, workstation products, and XeSS super-resolution technology can be found at the link below.

Roger ChandlerAs far as like software lockouts and things of that nature, we're not designing this product or building any features at this point that specifically target miners. As far as actions we're taking to avoid or lock them out, it's a product that will be in the market and people will be able to buy it. It's not a priority for us.

Intel is apparently taking its GPU business seriously, at the expense of AMD, as according to an article from CRN, Intel has hired Vineet Goel, former Corporate Vice President GPU architecture, graphics, machine learning and mobile platform at AMD. His new title at Intel is almost as longwinding, as he joined Intel as Vice President and General Manager, GPU architecture and IP engineering.

Goel spent his past five years at AMD and prior to that he was the Director of GPU compute solution and Adreno architecture at Qualcomm, although his first job listed on LinkedIn was as a fellow at AMD. His new position at Intel will have him lead the Xe GPU IP roadmap, or in other words, he'll be the person that decides what kind of tech Intel will be putting in its future GPUs.

The Kubuntu Focus Team announces the availability of the third-generation M2 Linux mobile workstation with multiple performance enhancements. RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 models are in stock now. RTX 3060 models can be reserved now and ship in the first week of November. The thin-and-light M2 laptop is a superb choice for anyone looking for the best out-of-the-box Linux experience with the most powerful mobile hardware. Customers include ML scientists, developers, and creators. Improvements to the third generation include:

• Cooler and faster Intel 11th generation Core i7-11800H. Geekbench scores improve 19 and 29%.
• Double the iGPU performance with Intel Iris Xe 32EU Graphics.
• Increased RAM speed from 2933 to 3200 MHz, up to 64 GB dual-channel.
• BIOS switchable USB-C GPU output.
• Upgrade from Thunderbolt 3 to version 4.

Client-segment DDR5 memory is on the anvil, with Intel 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" desktop processors that support them. It should come as little surprise then, that some of the first DDR5 memory kits will be outrageously pricey. One such product, a GeIL Polaris RGB DDR5-4800 2x 16 GB kit, saw an early listing on Newegg for $350. DDR5-4800 can be considered an entry-level memory speed (similar to DDR4-2400, when the DDR4 standard was new). DDR5 heralds 16 GB as the new mainstream module density, with "single rank" (two individual ranks for each of the two 40-bit channels per DIMM) being standard. 32 GB per DIMM will be the new premium density (four ranks, two each for the 40-bit channels per DIMM).

Given these, it's conceivable that the first DDR5 memory kits targeting gamers and PC enthusiasts will come with a heavy early-adopter premium. Luckily, the 12th Gen Core processors support both DDR5 and DDR4 memory standards, and there appears to have been a major attempt by Intel to get its motherboard partners to launch motherboards with DDR4 slots across a wide range of price-points, so people can keep using their existing memory, or buy the relatively more affordable memory kits out there. It remains to be seen just how much of a performance penalty using DDR4 attracts on the new processors.

Intel's upcoming Core i5-12400 "Alder Lake-S" processor could be an interesting piece of silicon. Apparently, not all 12th Gen Core i5 desktop chips have the same core-configuration. While the top Core i5-12600K is expected to have six "Golden Cove" P cores and four "Gracemont" E-cores, some of the lower variants, such as the i5-12400, will lack E cores, and be pure P core chips. In this case, the chip is 6-core/12-thread with just P cores; 1.25 MB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. You'll probably get all the next-gen I/O, including PCI-Express Gen 5 (PEG slot), a PCI-Express Gen 4 CPU-attached NVMe slot, and DDR5+DDR4 memory.

Given that the Core i5-11400 is a $190 part, even with a 10-15% price hike, the i5-12400 is expected to be under $220. The only drawbacks here are expected to be locked BClk multiplier, and rather low clock speeds of 4.00 GHz. A user on Chinese social media posted alleged Cinebench R20 results of the i5-12400. It scores 659 points in the single-threaded test, and 4784 points in the multi-threaded test. Wccftech tabulated this against known performance numbers of popular chips, and found that the i5-12400 might end up slightly ahead of the Ryzen 5 5600X, a currently-$300 part. The table also puts out leaked i9-12900K numbers, which indicate why AMD is rushing with "Zen 3+" with 3D Vertical Cache, instead of next-gen "Zen 4."

The x86 instruction set architecture has experienced many issues, and today's announcement is no exception. Yesterday morning, the Linux kernel received an urgent set of patches that are supposed to fix "yet another hardware trainwreck," as Thomas Gleixner, the kernel developer, describes. This time, the problem occurs with the high precision event timer (HPET) that stops once x86 processors reach PC10 idle state. In that event, the timer stops even when the OS/kernel uses it and could potentially cause a vulnerability inside a processor that an attacker can exploit. The problem has been known for quite a while since, in 2019, the Linux kernel started removing HPET functionality from some Intel processors.

The priority of this patch for Linux Kernel version 5.15-rc5 is high and marked as an urgent update. A reliable hardware timer and an interrupt are a must for the proper function of a processor. The hardware fix for this will not happen soon, so the Linux kernel has to adapt to it and create a solution at the software level. According to Mr. Gleixner, "The probability that this problem is going to be solved in the forseeable future is close to zero, so the kernel has to be cluttered with heuristics to keep up with the ever growing amount of hardware and firmware trainwrecks. Hopefully some day hardware people will understand that the approach of "This can be fixed in software" is not sustainable. Hope dies last..."

In an interview with the BBC, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said that the company is no longer considering the UK as a site for a chip fab, due to Brexit, something the company had apparently done prior to Brexit. Now the company is looking for a location in another EU country for a US$95 billion investment for a new semiconductor plant, as well as upgrades to its current plants in Ireland.

Although Intel had not made any firm decisions on a site location prior to Brexit, Gelsinger is quoted as saying "I have no idea whether we would have had a superior site from the UK, but we now have about 70 proposals for sites across Europe from maybe 10 different countries." He continues "We're hopeful that we'll get to agreement on a site, as well as support from the EU... before the end of this year."

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the global leading motherboard, mini PC, notebook, mobile device, and smart solution provider, is proud to announce our participation at GITEX Global 2021 at the Dubai International Trade Centre HALL 4, C21, from October 17 to 21. ECS will be showcasing the brand-new LIVA mini PC series, AIO PCs, and motherboards for various vertical markets as well as for commercial applications.

The ECS LIVA Mini PCs provide various product categories with flexible functions to fulfill various smart solutions. The Mini PC Family - including the pocket-sized Q series, multi-functional Z series, industrial-grade M series, and ultra-powerful One series - is ideal for wide ranging applications. These applications include smart retail, transportation, digital signage for hotels and hospital, smart conferencing for business, intelligent edge computing for AI solutions, and home computing for long-distance working and for education.

If you're looking at getting your hands on some DDR5 memory for your new Alder Lake build once it launches, a leak of validated RAM has popped up on Twitter, that should give you an idea of what to expect. The list is only a couple of weeks old and it's not what we'd call a long list, as it only covers five companies, out of which three are actual DRAM manufacturers and one is a subsidiary of one of those companies, there are no real surprises here.

All the DDR5 modules tested are rated at 4800 MHz and are either 8, 16 or 32 GB in size, with all modules using 16 Gbit chips. All modules were tested with timings of 40-39-39 at 1.1 V. Kingston is the only outlier here, since they're not a DRAM manufacturer, unlike SK hynix, Samsung and Micron/Crucial. Intel is listing all the modules as non ECC, which should put an end to the claims of all DDR5 being ECC memory.

Intel's recently appointed CEO wasn't mincing words in a recent interview with CRN, where he claimed that Intel not only "have the best product" but also that "this period of time when people could say, "Hey, [AMD] is leading," that's over." We'd say them are fighting words, regardless of what various leaks have suggested, since Intel still has a lot to prove with its upcoming Alder Lake CPUs.

Gelsinger continues with "We have 80 percent market share. We have the best software assets that are available in the industry. We do the best job supporting our partners and our OEMs with it. We have an incredible brand that our channel partners, customers want and trust. Wow, that's a lot of assets in that. If the channel partner doesn't see value in that, I want to talk to him." It's pretty clear from this that Intel believes that they're doing a bang up job and if their customers don't see it, then they need a talking to.

Intel is set to launch their 12th Generation Alder Lake desktop processors on November 4th alongside the new Z690 chipset supporting DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. We have recently seen the first of these new Z690 motherboards from ASUS being listed for sale by PC Canada. The listings include TUF, ROG Maximus, ROG Strix, and Prime motherboards but we don't see any mention of Apex or Extreme boards so they may not be available at launch. The models all appear to retail for less than their Z590 counterparts except for some of the Prime series models which will come as a pleasant surprise to many. We are also aware that the VRM design for these boards will receive various upgrades according to a recent report from @Komachi. The Z690 Hero is set to feature a 20+1 phase design with 90 A Power Stages while the lower-end boards will get a 14+1 design.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337), today announced the launch of new Razer Book and Razer Blade 15 Advanced models, pre-loaded with Windows 11. Additionally, compatibility with Windows 11 will extend across all Razer laptop product lines with free upgrades offered to current Razer laptop owners when available. Rollout of Windows 11 upgrades will begin on October 5th, and will continue throughout 20221.

"Razer laptops like the Razer Book are built to use the highest quality tools available, so that any user can accomplish their tasks efficiently without hardware or software limitations," says Brad Wildes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Razer's Systems Business Unit. "Windows 11 helps us do exactly that as we quickly adapt to a more powerful operating system for work and gaming."

Intel is expected to announce their desktop Alder Lake processors later this month on October 28th and it would appear that laptop processors could enter production as early as November. These revelations come from a leaked roadmap published by Wccftech that lists the Alder Lake-P and Alder Lake-M processor families for launch in Q4 2021 and Q1 2022 respectively. The production window for Alder Lake-P opens November 8th and closes March 13th while for Alder Lake-M that period is from January 17th to April 17th.

The roadmap lists Alder Lake-P processors as featuring a TDP between 12 W to 45 W and Alder Lake-M covering 7 W to 15 W. The two platforms will both feature up to 96 Xe graphics Execution units along with Thunderbolt 4 and WiFi 6E connectivity. Alder Lake-P will include PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support with no mention of DDR4 compatibility while Alder Lake-M will get PCIe 4.0 and LPDDR4X/LPDDR5. The mobile lineup is divided into 3 groups of which the flagship H55 was not mentioned in the roadmap indicating a post Q1 2022 release.

Ahead of its launch, Amazon in The Netherlands started listing some of the first 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" desktop processors, with the top Core i9-12900K getting listed at an exorbitant 847€ (including 21% cumulative tax). The Core i7-12700K is listed at 642€, making it a nearly 200€ cheaper. The mid-tier Core i5-12600K is listed at 324€, a price-point commanded by top Core i7 parts of the old.

Intel is expected to debut the 12th Gen Core processor family these three, along with their "-KF" variants that lack integrated graphics, which are expected to be priced anywhere between 30€ to 15€ less than their "K" counterparts. For those with discrete graphics who don't intend to use any of the media-acceleration features of the iGPU, "KF" variants could be a nice way to save a little.

While we wait for Intel's official launch of its Alder Lake platform, more leaks are making their way onto the internet and this time we get a sneak peek at the maximum memory speed at four different motherboards from ASUS. The model names of the boards leaked a couple of weeks ago, which makes this leak slightly more interesting, as we can get the full model names of the board this way, since the leaker was a bit sloppy here.

Two of the boards, the TUF Gaming Z690-Plus D4 and what we presume is the ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming D4, but the Wi-Fi version, as there are no Prime gaming boards, top out at 5,333 MHz. However, this shouldn't come as a surprise, as both boards rely on DDR4 and the highest memory speed is on par with ASUS' current Z590 boards.

We have seen numerous leaks for the upcoming Intel 12th Generation Core series of processes which are expected to launch on November 4th. The packaging for the flagship Core i9-12900K along with the i9/i7/i5 skews have now been leaked revealing the designs. The i9-12900K will receive a unique packaging design featuring a small wafer as a promotional display item to help differentiate the product on store shelves. The rest of the lineup will feature a uniform design reminiscent of previous generations with the same standard size packaging. The design for any potential i3 processors has not been revealed but we would expect it to be in line with the others. Intel is expected to announce the processors at an Innovation event on October 28th with shipments beginning November 4th.

Today, Intel introduced Loihi 2, its second-generation neuromorphic research chip, and Lava, an open-source software framework for developing neuro-inspired applications. Their introduction signals Intel's ongoing progress in advancing neuromorphic technology. Neuromorphic computing, which draws insights from neuroscience to create chips that function more like the biological brain, aspires to deliver orders of magnitude improvements in energy efficiency, speed of computation and efficiency of learning across a range of edge applications: from vision, voice and gesture recognition to search retrieval, robotics, and constrained optimization problems.

"Loihi 2 and Lava harvest insights from several years of collaborative research using Loihi. Our second-generation chip greatly improves the speed, programmability, and capacity of neuromorphic processing, broadening its usages in power and latency constrained intelligent computing applications. We are open sourcing Lava to address the need for software convergence, benchmarking, and cross-platform collaboration in the field, and to accelerate our progress toward commercial viability." -- Mike Davies, director of Intel's