TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

The Helldivers universe is one of noble soldiers, heroic deeds, and heartfelt, unflinching patriotism in the face of giant acid-spewing bug monsters. Stephen Flowers, Game Writer, Arrowhead Game Studios (https://www.arrowheadgamestudios.com/aboutarrowhead/games/): "I personally love writing for a game with opportunities for comedy, and that doesn't take itself too seriously. I hope I can find a game like that soon…" If you want to catch up with the story of Super Earth and her valiant defenders before Helldivers 2 (https://store.steampowered.com/app/553850/HELLDIVERS_2/) launches tomorrow (on February 8), read on. Plus, we share the first news that the story will continue in post-launch Helldivers 2 updates.

Since Helldivers 1…
Helldivers 2 takes place a century after the events of the first game, with Super Earth having emerged victorious against its adversaries - the deadly, bug-like Terminids, the grotesque Cyborgs and the inscrutable Illuminates. With its foes vanquished and the Galactic War won, an era of peace and prosperity ensued. The Helldivers, Super Earth's elite task force, were dismissed. The same faster-than-light travel technology, heroically liberated from the Illuminates, that gave Super Earth access to the galaxy, has since been used to colonize it. This period has come to be known as The Great Democratization. FTL technology is reliant on a steady supply of the precious substance E-710 which, luckily, can be found in decomposing Terminid bodies. So naturally, Super Earth has been farming Terminids on an industrial scale.https://tpucdn.com/img/g8Eu3FVAfUMciA8l_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/g8Eu3FVAfUMciA8l.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/fdGWiXQbt8Grdvt5_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/fdGWiXQbt8Grdvt5.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7IiOcT9FHlq7hnmj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7IiOcT9FHlq7hnmj.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/RWnMwUvXj2wN7Uk5_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/RWnMwUvXj2wN7Uk5.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318852/helldivers-2-plot-points-explored)

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[NextPowerUP]

DigiTimes Asia (https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20240205PD232.html) has reached out to insiders at fabrication toolmakers in an effort to delve deeper into claims made by industry analysts at the start of 2024—both SemiAnalysis and China Renaissance have proposed (https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/manufacturing/tsmc-to-adopt-high-na-euv-tools-in-2030-or-later-report) that TSMC is unlikely to adopt High-NA EUV production techniques within a five year period. The latest news article explores a non-upgrade approach for the next couple of years: "TSMC has not placed orders for high-numerical aperture (High-NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) tools and is unlikely to use the technology in 2 nm and 1.4 nm (A14) process manufacturing." Intel Foundry Services (IFS) will be one of the first semiconductor manufacturers to go online with ASML's latest and greatest machinery (https://www.techpowerup.com/313300/asmls-first-pilot-tool-for-next-gen-products-to-be-delivered-in-2023), although no firm timeframes have been confirmed. Team Blue's Taiwanese rival (and occasional (https://www.techpowerup.com/318454/intel-reportedly-selects-tsmcs-2-nanometer-process-for-nova-lake-cpu-generation) business partner) is seemingly happy with its existing infrastructure, but industry watchdogs propose that cost considerations are key factors behind TSMC's cautious planning for the next decade.

The DigiTimes insider sources believe that TSMC will not budge until at least 2029, possibly coinciding with a 1 nm production node—analysts at China Renaissance reckon that High-NA EUV machines could be delivered in the future when facilities are readied for an "A10" codenamed process. TSMC published a very ambitious "transistor count" product timeline in early January (see below)—the first "1 nm" products are supposedly targeted for a 2030 rollout, but this schedule could change due to unforeseen circumstances. Intel is expected to "phase in" its fanciest ASML gear collection once the 18A process becomes old hat—Tom's Hardware thinks that 2026 - 2027 is a feasible timeframe.https://tpucdn.com/img/8r3yW7B5GbKug1SQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8r3yW7B5GbKug1SQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/sqQRHmHiUW9thgRn_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sqQRHmHiUW9thgRn.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/uuvJUROl4MlVDPEr_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uuvJUROl4MlVDPEr.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xgrBKSc0y2KWDx1V_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xgrBKSc0y2KWDx1V.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318851/tsmc-allegedly-not-rushing-into-adoption-of-high-na-euv-machinery)

[NextPowerUP]

Chad Pralle, Principle Technical Program Manager at Microsoft's Windows AI NPU division has introduced (https://blogs.windows.com/windowsdeveloper/2024/02/01/introducing-neural-processor-unit-npu-support-in-directml-developer-preview/) the DirectML 1.13.1 and ONNX Runtime 1.17 APIs—this appears to be a collaborative effort—Samsung was roped in to some degree, according to Microsoft's announcement and a recent Team Blue blog entry (https://community.intel.com/t5/Blogs/Tech-Innovation/Artificial-Intelligence-AI/Scaling-AI-in-Samsung-PCs-with-Intel-AI-Boost-and-Microsoft/post/1565905). Pralle and his team are suitably proud of this joint effort that involved open source models: "we are excited to announce developer preview support for NPU acceleration in DirectML, the machine learning platform API for Windows. This developer preview enables support for a subset of models on new Windows 11 devices with Intel Core Ultra processors with Intel AI boost."

Further on in Microsoft's introductory piece, Samsung Electronics is announced as a key launch partner—Hwang-Yoon Shim, VP and Head of New Computing H/W R&D Group stated that: "NPUs are emerging as a critical resource for broadly delivering efficient machine learning experiences to users, and Windows DirectML is one of the most efficient ways for Samsung's developers to make those experiences for Windows." Microsoft notes that NPU support in DirectML is still "a work in progress," but Pralle and his colleagues are eager to receive user feedback from the testing community. It is currently "only compatible with a subset of machine learning models, some models may not run at all or may have high latency or low accuracy." They hope to implement improvements in the near future. The release is limited to modern Team Blue hardware, so NPU-onboard AMD (https://www.techpowerup.com/316436/amd-ryzen-8040-series-hawk-point-mobile-processors-announced-with-a-faster-npu) devices are excluded at this point in time, naturally.https://tpucdn.com/img/VfIBUbNroBLuktYc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/VfIBUbNroBLuktYc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/tDxDySGD9cRfz11w_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/tDxDySGD9cRfz11w.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/yNAPdayNElECAaVM_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/yNAPdayNElECAaVM.jpg)

Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318850/windows-11-directml-preview-supports-intel-core-ultra-npus)

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[NextPowerUP]

AMD FSR (https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/fidelityfx-super-resolution) 3 comes to Starfield (https://bethesda.net/en/game/starfield) in our latest Steam Beta. Those of you playing on Steam can opt into the Beta to see the improvements brought to the game before this update becomes available to all our PC Starfield players. This new feature allows for a combination of upscaling as well as advanced frame generation, boosting your framerate for better performance. While AMD's FSR 3 works for a wide range of video cards, you will want to verify that your system supports (https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/fidelityfx-super-resolution) it so that you get the best experience. It is also recommended to use FSR 3 with VSync ON and with a VRR monitor for the best experience.

For those participating, you can enable FSR 3 by heading to Display Settings and accessing the Upscaling options. From there you will be able to cycle through the option best suited for your experience. As with any update, we look forward to reading your feedback and seeing you share your experiences. Thank you for your support and see you in Starfield!https://tpucdn.com/img/wqh25SGXVQhJHf4i_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/wqh25SGXVQhJHf4i.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/a1LQral0dokYXKTJ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/a1LQral0dokYXKTJ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/g6CwusmOZo2xyWId_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/g6CwusmOZo2xyWId.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Z02FCT1M8rdEUvLA_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Z02FCT1M8rdEUvLA.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

An emergency update is being pushed for Surveillance Center (https://www.asustor.com/en/nvr2_8) in response to a severe vulnerability (https://www.asustor.com/knowledge/detail/?group_id=1411) detected in the software that could potentially allow an attacker to gain control elevated privileges to execute code on ADM to install malware. This update fixes this underlying vulnerability. ASUSTOR strongly urges all users of Surveillance Center for ADM to install the latest version as soon as possible to protect themselves and to minimize the risk of malware infection. ASUSTOR also recommends taking additional security measures to guard against the potential harms of malware in accordance with previously announced protective measures.

ASUSTOR strongly recommends taking the following actions to ensure your data is secure:

Change your password.
Use a strong password.
Change default HTTP and HTTPS ports. Default ports are 8000 and 8001 respectively.
Turn off Terminal/SSH and SFTP services and other services you do not use.
Make regular backups and ensure backups are up to date.
Turn on and update snapshots if available.
Enable the AbuseIPDB risk detection greylist.

https://tpucdn.com/img/BHab7HepdRMtIdZf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/BHab7HepdRMtIdZf.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/FmP99e6iT5NPTDVX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/FmP99e6iT5NPTDVX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lvtzFrfNr16EjjsV_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lvtzFrfNr16EjjsV.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/EAvdpnbtHmw7FHmQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/EAvdpnbtHmw7FHmQ.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

Huawei's Ascend 910B AI GPU is reportedly in high demand in China—we last learned that NVIDIA's latest US sanction-busting H20 "Hopper" model (https://www.techpowerup.com/318595/nvidia-readying-h20-ai-gpu-for-chinese-market) is lined up as a main competitor, allegedly in terms of both pricing and performance. A recent Reuters report (https://www.reuters.com/technology/ai-chip-demand-forces-huawei-slow-smartphone-production-sources-2024-02-05/) proposes that Huawei is reacting to native enterprise market trends by shifting its production priorities—in favor of Ascend product ranges, while demoting their Kirin smartphone chipset family. Generative AI industry experts believe that the likes of Alibaba and Tencent have rejected Team Green's latest batch of re-jigged AI chips (H20, L20 and L2)—tastes have gradually shifted to locally developed alternatives.

Huawei leadership is seemingly keen to seize these growth opportunities—their Ascend 910B is supposedly ideal for workloads "that require low-to-mind inferencing power." Reuters has spoken to three anonymous sources—all with insider knowledge of goings-on at a single facility (https://www.techpowerup.com/318789/smic-reportedly-ramping-up-5-nanometer-production-line-in-shanghai) that manufacturers Ascend AI chips and the Kirin smartphone SoCs. Two of the leakers claim that this unnamed fabrication location is facing many "production quality" challenges, namely output being "hamstrung by a low yield rate." The report claims that Huawei has pivoted by deprioritizing Kirin 9000S (7 nm) production, thus creating a knock-on effect for its premium Mate 60 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huawei_Mate_60) smartphone range.https://tpucdn.com/img/q8LWoAETdoFCvr0C_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/q8LWoAETdoFCvr0C.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Y63II0YnvZVtDBcI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Y63II0YnvZVtDBcI.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/DY1NkEoatvHheKV0_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/DY1NkEoatvHheKV0.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

Skull and Bones (https://store.ubisoft.com/us/skull-and-bones/6295077a27efc536e38350a0.html), launching on February 16, will transport players to the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy, where they'll battle ships in fast-paced naval combat, plunder ports, and take on contracts to grow their Infamy and eventually rise to the top as a pirate kingpin (https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/2mNj4NDWugROQhKeAof4mc/skull-and-bones-ruling-the-seas-as-a-pirate-kingpin). It's a co-op open world pirate action RPG, where players can do everything from hunting crocodiles and harvesting jute fiber to battling ghost ships and sea monsters. In a multiplayer game of this size and scope, it's especially important to make sure that it can be experienced by as many players as possible. To find out more about Skull and Bones' accessibility, we spoke with Project Manager Samuel Soh at Ubisoft Singapore and Production Manager Yurii Martynchyk at Ubisoft Kyiv.

Skull and Bones is a huge PvE open world with PvP activities and lots to do. What kinds of considerations go into ensuring that it's accessible to a broad spectrum of players? Has it presented any specific challenges?
Yurii Martynchyk: In addition to "classic" accessibility features - remapping, colorblind options, subtitles, etc. - Skull and Bones also includes gameplay-related accessibility options, like the ability to disable camera shakes when you're sailing, and to automate the harvesting minigames and QTE sequences. In my opinion, it is very important to keep an eye on possible balancing issues when introducing accessibility features, and our team is working closely with colleagues from Singapore to ensure an equitable playing field for all players.https://tpucdn.com/img/bXcXKn0d0gvCoMoI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/bXcXKn0d0gvCoMoI.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/tYhcPLockAc3eyjf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/tYhcPLockAc3eyjf.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/8nzYkWHtoGXjjtXu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8nzYkWHtoGXjjtXu.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318842/ubisoft-highlights-skull-and-bones-accessibility-features)

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[NextPowerUP]

EK, the premium liquid cooling solutions manufacturer, is launching a wide range of EK-Loop OmniLink cables to support its fans, pumps, D-RGB, and 12 V and 5 V power distribution connections. EK's OmniLink solutions allow daisy chaining of multiple fans, reducing cable clutter and greatly easing cable management. These cables perfectly complement EK-Loop FPT and EK-Quantum Impulse fans and all products with standard D-RGB and 4-pin fan connectors. This product series contains splitters, extenders, and cables with specific requirements that act as replacements for PSU cables.

EK-Loop OmniLink 6-Pin Power (Dual PWM) cable is the starting point of the OmniLink cable harness with the necessary 6-Pin power, D-RGB, and dual 4-Pin PWM connectors. The OmniLink cable allows for easy transmission and distribution of +12V and +5V Power, PWM, TACHO, and D-RGB signals. The cable features a black ribbon style for easy build integration and cable management.https://tpucdn.com/img/GMXKE8FKhzUBm1Zk_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GMXKE8FKhzUBm1Zk.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318843/ek-rolls-out-new-omnilink-solutions-for-all-pc-cable-management-requirements)

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[NextPowerUP]

Zephyr and VK Valkyrie have collaborated on a very high-end custom GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-4080-super.c4182) graphics card model, as revealed in a teaser video posted to the former's Bilibili (https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1MJ4m147i5/) account. VK Valkyrie is a well regarded DIY brand in the Chinese PC gaming market, while Zephyr is a relatively young manufacturer—their unusual GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Compact ITX design with a pink PCB was introduced last summer (https://www.techpowerup.com/309967/zephyr-geforce-rtx-3060-ti-card-has-a-pink-pcb). TPU's June 2023 news report is featured prominently within their website's news section (https://www.zephyrsz.com/newsinfo/6070426.html)—greatly appreciated! The Zephyr x VK Valkyrie GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER will be a limited edition release—the two partners have been working together since last August, but a specific launch date and pricing were not revealed in Zephyr's teaser trailer.

Zephyr has, so far, only released air-cooled custom graphics cards—their upcoming VK Valkyrie collaborative model will mark a debut entry into liquid cooled territory. Their chunky 3-slot design consists of a substantial heatsink covered by an RGB-adorned silver shroud and metallic backplate, with an AiO liquid cooling solution. A 280 mm radiator (with 2 x 140 mm fans) is hooked up to the card via twin white braided tubes. A rear-firing 12VHPWR connector provides an elegant means of semi-concealing your 90-degree power cable, if need be. The promotional video includes benchmark results generated by 3DMARK Speed Way, Time Spy Extreme, and Fire Strike Ultra suites (check the relevant screenshot below). Zephyr claims that their limited edition GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER model was cool enough to not exceed 52 degrees celcius during a heavy Furmark session. The company recommends that interested parties should check its social media accounts for further announcements. The Zephyr x VK Valkyrie GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER could arrive at some point after the Chinese Spring Celebration.https://tpucdn.com/img/utW6Yw8YKdxM01wW_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/utW6Yw8YKdxM01wW.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3tjeo20DO7YvszKY_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3tjeo20DO7YvszKY.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/VYuEPnNhQBZBsOks_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/VYuEPnNhQBZBsOks.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/KKmC101TsfSFK6X4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/KKmC101TsfSFK6X4.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

As we enter the year of the dragon according to the Chinese zodiac, we have a week full of new game releases to look forward to, although none of them are unfortunately dragon themed. This week's AAA release has a more caribbean theme and has been a long time coming. As for the remaining releases, we're looking at a dash of phobia, banishment, some insight, dwarves, colonisation and a dark town.

Skull & Bones (https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/skull-and-bones) / This week's AAA release / Friday 16 February
Enter the perilous world of Skull and Bones, a co-op pirate open world action RPG experience, to become the most infamous pirate kingpin. Engage in thrilling naval battles, craft a variety of unique ships, forge unlikely alliances as you overcome the odds, and bring mayhem on the seas. Be part of an immersive world that introduces new challenges and features every seasonhttps://tpucdn.com/img/SKOnw9m8MKjQuFXI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SKOnw9m8MKjQuFXI.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/k6ktoPDTsqjKeRzp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/k6ktoPDTsqjKeRzp.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/s4uve8BYxfFeIcOg_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/s4uve8BYxfFeIcOg.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/VjJh9zvCMMHnUvxi_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/VjJh9zvCMMHnUvxi.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318983/this-week-in-gaming-week-7)

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[NextPowerUP]

NVIDIA is reportedly working to set up a new business unit focused on designing semi-custom chips for some of its largest data-center customers, Reuters reports. NVIDIA dominates the AI HPC processor market, although even its biggest customers are having to shop from its general lineup of A100 series and H100 series HPC processors. There are reports of some of these customers venturing out of the NVIDIA fold, wanting to develop their own AI processor designs. It is to cater to exactly this segment that NVIDIA is setting up the new unit.

A semi-custom chip isn't just a bespoke chip designed to a customer's specifications. It is co-developed by NVIDIA and its customer, using mainly NVIDIA IP blocks, but also integrating some third-party IP blocks the customer may want; and more importantly, approach semiconductor fabrication companies such as TSMC, Samsung, or Intel Foundry Services as separate entities from NVIDIA for their wafer allocation. For example, a company like Google may have a certain amount of wafer pre-allocation with TSMC (eg: for its Tensor SoCs powering the Pixel smartphones), which it may want to tap into for a semi-custom AI HPC processor for its cloud business. NVIDIA assesses a $30 billion TAM for this specific business unit—that's all its current customers wanting to pursue their own AI processor projects, who will now be motivated to stick to NVIDIA.https://tpucdn.com/img/Fm3PSdLQw2gOtxJ7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Fm3PSdLQw2gOtxJ7.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318976/nvidia-to-create-ai-semi-custom-chip-business-unit)

[NextPowerUP]

AMD FSR 3 Is Coming To The Thaumaturge (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1684350/The_Thaumaturge/)—a Gripping and Dark RPG. The Thaumaturge is a story-driven RPG with morally ambiguous choices, taking place in the culturally diverse world of early 20th century Warsaw. In this world, Salutors exist: esoteric beings that only Thaumaturges can truly perceive and use for their needs. The Thaumaturge launches February 20th, with AMD FSR 3. Watch the brand new story trailer below.

When it launches later this month, The Thaumaturge will feature AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3. FSR 3 transforms gaming experiences with massive and responsive framerates in supported games using a combination of temporal upscaling technology, advanced frame generation, and built-in latency reduction technology.https://tpucdn.com/img/THbQvwg2FabreBCB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/THbQvwg2FabreBCB.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OZLNImndgSjyl9Gt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OZLNImndgSjyl9Gt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Th8HJKO09LhtvI5W_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Th8HJKO09LhtvI5W.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/iYONsiELuRuu9mF0_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/iYONsiELuRuu9mF0.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318948/the-thaumaturge-gets-amd-fsr-3-treatment-due-for-launch-february-20)

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[NextPowerUP]

URCDKeys presents the February Super Sale—get genuine software at 30% discounts to the store's original prices, which are already some of the lowest in the industry. Grab Genuine Windows 11 Pro at just $20. Office 2021 Professional Plus can be had at just $86. Check out even bigger discounts on other editions of Windows, Office, and their combos, to save big. The developers among you might want to grab Genuine Visual Studio and SQL Server at special prices!

Please use the coupon code TPUP at checkout to avail the prices you see here.

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[NextPowerUP]

As many of you know, two weeks ago, there were a series of changes made to the Overwatch team, as well as other teams across Blizzard (https://www.techpowerup.com/318324/microsoft-lays-off-1900-activision-blizzard-zenimax-xbox-employees). Writing a public blog (https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/overwatch/24064843/director-s-take-building-on-feedback) is difficult in the wake of these events. I want to express gratitude for the absolutely amazing people who worked on our game that are no longer on our team. I want the community to feel informed, and I want to convey our excitement about what is to come in Season 9. To be honest, it's a lot to balance—but one of the things we've been most proud of is how we've kept lines of communication open between the team and our community, and we intend to continue that.

In that spirit, yesterday, we shared the exciting changes (https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24056255/?blzcmp=blizzard-news) you are going to experience with Competitive starting in Season 9. I'd like to give a bit more insight into why we are making these changes. In our previous Director's Take, we talked about improving the game's core PvP experience. There are different ways that we look at improving the game, but one of the biggest is listening to your feedback. Season 9 starts in less than a week, and the two biggest and best changes coming to the season and a lot of it is driven by feedback from you - our players along with our team's vision to make the game more fun and challenging for everyone.https://tpucdn.com/img/5VMYxlBf87hER2iq_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5VMYxlBf87hER2iq.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/DaktW9vRqHN6tXBA_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/DaktW9vRqHN6tXBA.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/FvNo5MGHDBC2IWRa_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/FvNo5MGHDBC2IWRa.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318945/overwatch-2-director-addresses-blizzard-team-changes-ahead-of-season-9-launch)

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[NextPowerUP]

The PC version of Helldivers 2 (https://store.steampowered.com/app/553850/HELLDIVERS_2/) has shot up the Steam charts since yesterday's launch (also available on PlayStation 5)—according to tracking sites (https://steamdb.info/app/553850/charts/), peak player population sits at 151,927. Games industry watchdogs believe that this is Sony PlayStation's most successful launch title on PC platforms—24-hour peak telemetry has Helldivers 2 attracting 81,840 players versus God of War's 68,000 (January 14, 2022). An abundance of technical issues has prompted the submission of negative feedback—around 12,200 reviews have been left on the game's Steam Profile. Its current status is "Mostly Positive," but launch evening impressions were "Mixed" following 5300 review submissions. Eurogamer (https://www.eurogamer.net/helldivers-2-developer-pledges-fixes-as-launch-woes-land-mixed-rating-on-steam) has summarized the problematic period: "Chief among criticisms are complaints about persistent crashes, while others have singled out server and matchmaking issues. Then there's ire directed towards PC optimization, and its kernel-level GameGuard anti-cheat software (https://www.techpowerup.com/318262/helldivers-2-technical-director-addresses-anti-cheat-concerns), which some feel is cause for concern, as well as complaints around Helldivers 2's monetization (https://www.techpowerup.com/318541/helldivers-2s-deputy-director-discusses-warbond-system)—which includes a battle pass and premium currency in-game shop, despite its £34.99/$39.99 price tag."

The development team at Arrowhead Game Studios implemented day-of-launch matchmaking fixes and addressed the most common crash problems. Helldivers 2 Game Director, Mikael Eriksson (https://twitter.com/ArrowheadGS/status/1755668263780933889?s=20), stated that a patch was in the making: "If it's a success, we'll trigger a hotfix and get it out to the Steam community first, then roll it out to PS5 players as quickly as we can. Thank you—seriously—for your patience. We really want you all to have a blast playing this game. Bear with us, we're almost there." Arrowhead have followed up on their promise(s) today with another set of fixes pushed out to PC gamer population—Eriksson shared (https://twitter.com/ArrowheadGS/status/1755668263780933889) some good second day news: "We've uploaded a patch to Steam that should improve matchmaking for PC. The patch also includes some other crash fixes we've identified. We know there's more to solve, and we're working our way through it. Nevertheless, we hope this rapid patch goes a long way to making your experience better. Now go smash some bugs (and bots)!"https://tpucdn.com/img/jnezbkxctNiAiTeN_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/jnezbkxctNiAiTeN.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/FbdRV5i8bjMKOYrZ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/FbdRV5i8bjMKOYrZ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/UoOXXWWnPVrt2WDu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UoOXXWWnPVrt2WDu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OPXXiH0vJXI8Rimj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OPXXiH0vJXI8Rimj.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318944/helldivers-2-receives-rapid-post-launch-pc-patch)

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[NextPowerUP]

Grab your dueling pistols and dust off those adventurin' boots, because Lara Croft is back, baby! Get ready to embark on a journey down memory lane as the iconic Lara Croft makes her triumphant return in this lovingly remastered collection of the first three classic Tomb Raider games. The launch of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (https://core-design.com/remasters/index.html) brings these adventures to a new generation of gamers, featuring enhanced visuals, polished gameplay, previously exclusive expansions, and a surge of nostalgia to boot.

This time around, you'll be able to share your globetrotting adventures with your friends thanks to the new "Photo Mode" feature (https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/02/09/explore-the-world-through-laras-lens-with-tomb-raider-i-iii-remastered-photo-mode/). Classic exploration meets modern creativity and every snapshot gives you a chance to tell YOUR story through daring escapades and unparalleled adventure. While you embark on legendary expeditions with Lara, capture your own moments of discovery and triumph.https://tpucdn.com/img/O8gQFIuThXkafrpc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/O8gQFIuThXkafrpc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/aYpTo9olPxEthdjX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/aYpTo9olPxEthdjX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/J27eDRhwIUu5Iows_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/J27eDRhwIUu5Iows.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/uaoN3A7i0dNcg0m6_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uaoN3A7i0dNcg0m6.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318942/tomb-raider-i-iii-remastereds-photo-mode-gets-an-introduction)

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[NextPowerUP]

Attention is now turning to the late February Mobile World Congress (WWC) 2024 trade show—following journos recovering from their recent CES gauntlet-esque ordeals. An exclusive Windows Report (https://windowsreport.com/exclusive-lenovo-is-working-on-a-transparent-laptop-might-showcase-it-at-mwc-2024/) piece proposes that Lenovo representatives will be heading to Barcelona with a very special next generation laptop in hand. The publication has a outed a number of upcoming portable devices, two weeks prior to Lenovo's intended showcase (February 26 - 29)—we witnessed a similar occurrence (https://www.techpowerup.com/313683/microsoft-surface-laptop-studio-2-laptop-go-3-leaked) last year with WinFuture leaking Microsoft's September Surface refreshes. Six notebook refreshes (ThinkPad and ThinkBook) are mentioned in the latest report, as well as Gen 2 version of Lenovo's ThinkVision M14T portable monitor.

The alleged headliner seems to be a concept model, that slides into the company's ThinkBook range—Windows Report has leaked heavily watermarked images, but little in the way of technical specifications: "Lenovo's transparent laptop features a bezel-less design, with the display being completely see-through. The deck also seems completely transparent, with the main components being housed in and under the chin, which is the area that's not transparent. There's also a non-transparent slim frame that surrounds the entire deck, probably housing the ports." An anonymous source reckons that the transparent OLED ThinkBook runs on Windows 11, and Lenovo's tried and trusted design language is very apparent (when in use).https://tpucdn.com/img/3zrA1mxl6X2HpKqK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3zrA1mxl6X2HpKqK.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/5C8VYX5FYJkqOX1i_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5C8VYX5FYJkqOX1i.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/o97wvunOPWQAYxsX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/o97wvunOPWQAYxsX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/R5hXsvdHBPWC0Z3M_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/R5hXsvdHBPWC0Z3M.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318941/lenovo-reportedly-showcasing-prototype-transparent-oled-notebook-at-mwc-2024)

[NextPowerUP]

An AMD Athlon K7 "Pluto" processor has been examined by Fritzchens Fritz, a well known close-up photographer of CPU and GPU dies—his latest project has uncovered a decades old hidden secret. He posted this discovery to social media (https://twitter.com/FritzchensFritz/status/1754619190143562173) earlier this week, and made sure to include various images for context purposes: "AMD Athlon K7 Pluto Top Metal Layer. A revolver and Texas Map can be found in one of the four corners! And some explanations about the stone relief. The relief contains the AMD Athlon K7 Series from: Argon -> Pluto -> Thunderbird -> Palomino -> Thoroughbred -> Barton." Team Red's turn of the millennium mainstream processor family fought off Intel's Pentium III CPU architecture (1999 to 2000)—many contemporary reports have handed that time period's victory to AMD. Fritz's funny find received a lot of news coverage, with many authors expressing disbelief about the miniscule revolver and Map of Texas being hidden in (sort of) plain sight for nearly 25 years.

Phil Park, an AMD veteran—currently working in the memory systems department as a Fabric performance engineer—posted an insightful reply (https://twitter.com/philparkbot/status/1754895369517793444) to Fritz's historical guesstimations (Greco-Roman themes via the stone relief). Another Team Red revelation was revealed: "The original Athlon naming scheme (Mustang, Thunderbird, Spitfire) had a different theme (cars), but the rumor was that some companies got wind of this, so we changed themes rather than get involved in dumb trademark battles over internal codenames. So it became horses." If we read between the very obvious lines, Park suggests that Ford, Chevrolet, and BMW were keeping an eye on AMD product naming conventions.https://tpucdn.com/img/qszDji4XLrbNVlig_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qszDji4XLrbNVlig.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6M5jkGPq7DzpLRjU_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6M5jkGPq7DzpLRjU.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7dHtkawB0tfEtymX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7dHtkawB0tfEtymX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/F7QNkcNWKwRVl08M_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/F7QNkcNWKwRVl08M.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318940/amd-athlon-k7-cpu-easter-egg-discovered-decades-later)

[NextPowerUP]

We are alerting users of online features, including Cross Progression and My Rewards, in CD PROJEKT RED games, as well as participants in platforms like the CD PROJEKT RED Forums. We are migrating these products to a new account system, owned and operated by CD PROJEKT S.A., effective from March 5th, 2024. This consolidation will involve the transfer of governance of personal data, including email address and username, from the GOG (https://www.gog.com/) account system to the CD PROJEKT RED account system.

What does this change?
Starting March 5th, 2024, the above mentioned online features and services will be available through a new CD PROJEKT RED account system.

Do I need to take any action?
No, a new CD PROJEKT RED account will be created for you automatically based on your GOG Account information: user ID, username and email address. This will allow you to continue using features provided by CD PROJEKT RED with no interruption. No action is required on your end.https://tpucdn.com/img/A7B5WHSSSWFFjKpX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/A7B5WHSSSWFFjKpX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/HO5MKe1gL8OpRfAt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/HO5MKe1gL8OpRfAt.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318938/gog-cd-projekt-red-announce-account-migration-effective-march-5)

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[NextPowerUP]

Scientists and engineers (https://www.techpowerup.com/301748/intel-research-fuels-moores-law-and-paves-the-way-to-a-trillion-transistors-by-2030) have been experimenting with hafnium oxide over the past decade—many believe that this "elusive ferroelectric material" is best leveraged in next generation computing memory (due to its non-volatile properties), although this requires a major scientific breakthrough to get working in a practical manner. Hafnia's natural state is inherently non-ferroelectric, so it takes some effort to get it into a suitable state—a SciTechDaily article (https://scitechdaily.com/hafnia-breakthrough-paves-way-for-ultra-fast-efficient-cheap-computer-memory/) explores past efforts: "Scientists could only get hafnia to its metastable ferroelectric state when straining it as a thin, two-dimensional film of nanometer thickness." Research teams at the University of Rochester, New York and University of Tennessee, Knoxville have presented evidence of an exciting landmark development. Sobhit Singh, assistant professor at UoR's Department of Mechanical Engineering, believes that the joint effort has created a lane for the creation of bulk ferroelectric and antiferroelectric hafnia.

His "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" study proposes an alternative material path: "Hafnia is a very exciting material because of its practical applications in computer technology, especially for data storage. Currently, to store data we use magnetic forms of memory that are slow, require a lot of energy to operate, and are not very efficient. Ferroelectric forms of memory are robust, ultra-fast, cheaper to produce, and more energy-efficient." Professor Janice Musfeldt's team at the University of Tennessee have managed to produce a ferroelectric form of hafnia—through an experimental high pressure process, based on Singh's exact calculations. The material remained in a metastable phase post-experiment, even in a pressure-relieved state. Musfeldt commented on the pleasing results: "This is as an excellent example of experimental-theoretical collaboration." Memory manufacturers are likely keeping an eye on Hafnia's breakthrough potential, but material costs are dampening expectations—Tom's Hardware (https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/hafnia-proves-a-viable-material-for-memory-in-experiments-but-it-probably-wont-come-cheap) cites shortages (going back to early 2023): "Hafnium (the key component in Hafnia) has seen a nearly fivefold price increase due to increased demand since 2021, raising its cost from about $1,000 per kilogram to about $5,000. Even at $1000 a kilogram, though, hafnium is by far more expensive than silicon, which measures in the tens of dollars per kilogram."https://tpucdn.com/img/ZlzkVqBH5Ilz84cQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ZlzkVqBH5Ilz84cQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/vkGIlf6b2YzuzbRV_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/vkGIlf6b2YzuzbRV.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/XbbQUXhV0AzXFb2D_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XbbQUXhV0AzXFb2D.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318935/hafnia-material-breakthrough-paves-way-for-ferroelectric-computer-memory)

[NextPowerUP]

Hi everyone, we have received feedback from players about the quest progression of Enshrouded (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203620/Enshrouded/). Many of you are frustrated with the fact that it is currently mainly server-side instead of player-side. We have some good news to share (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1203620/view/4064004735513448548). Put your reading hats on, this one's long...When designing this system, we believed that the best way to enjoy Enshrouded was with a group of friends who are all working cooperatively together. However, we know that having quests completed while one player is offline might feel bad for those who feel they are missing parts of the gameplay experience. We designed Enshrouded (https://enshrouded.com/) as a co-op game. While working on it, we envisioned one group of friends experiencing the world together—sharing bases, resources, crafting recipes, and loot.

Furthermore, we wanted players to be able to play together meaningfully with different groups of friends and on different servers. We developed a game environment where a new player could join a long-running server and jump into the same action as their friends. Skipping the "tutorial" server quests to instead learn through conversation and cooperation, uniting the group. Our reasoning was that players shouldn't feel forced to participate in quests. Our player base is diverse, after all. Not everyone is bound to enjoy our combat or puzzles as much as building a base or exploring. If some players in a group want to focus on building or farming, while others are going on adventures, both making meaningful progress for the group, that should be fine.https://tpucdn.com/img/NI6Z2N7XOr14qV3w_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/NI6Z2N7XOr14qV3w.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ZXAh5mCJFaq5bjKJ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ZXAh5mCJFaq5bjKJ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/InI9MkhltTZgVf9k_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/InI9MkhltTZgVf9k.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7nzrBW8vZEd4VwJs_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7nzrBW8vZEd4VwJs.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318933/enshrouded-devs-working-on-quest-progression-improvements)

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[NextPowerUP]

NVIDIA's decision to shave off $200 from its GeForce RTX 4080 GPU tier has caused a run on retail since the launch of SUPER variants late last month (https://www.techpowerup.com/318529/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-starts-selling-at-usd-999)—VideoCardz has investigated (https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-stock-running-low-in-the-us-no-msrp-cards-available) an apparent North American supply shortage. The adjusted $999 base MSRP appears to be an irresistible prospect for discerning US buyers—today's report explains how: "a week after its release, that GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-4080-super.c4182) cards are not available at any major US retailer for online orders." At the time of writing, no $999 models are available to purchase via e-tailers (for delivery)—BestBuy and Micro Center have a smattering of baseline MSRP cards (including the Founders Edition), but for in-store pickup only. Across the pond, AD103 SUPER's supply status is a bit different: "On the other hand, in Europe, the situation appears to be more favorable, with several retailers listing the cards at or near the MSRP of €1109."

The cheapest custom GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER SKU, at $1123, seems to be listed by Amazon.com. Almost all of Newegg's product pages are displaying an "Out of Stock" notice—ZOTAC GAMING's GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Trinity OC White Edition (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/zotac-rtx-4080-super-trinity-oc-white.b11541) model is on "back order" for $1049.99, while the only "in stock" option is MSI's GeForce RTX 4080 Super Expert (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/msi-geforce-rtx-4080-super-expert/) card (at $1149.99). VideoCardz notes that GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER and RTX 4070 TI SUPER models are in plentiful supply, which highlights a big contrast in market conditions for NVIDIA's latest Ada Lovelace families. The report also mentions an ongoing shortage of GeForce RTX 4080 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-4080.c3888) (Non-SUPER) cards, going back weeks prior to the official January 31 rollout: "Similar to the RTX 4090, finding the RTX 4080 at its $1200 price point has proven challenging." Exact sales figures are not available to media outlets—it is unusual to see official metrics presented a week or two after a product's launch—so we will have to wait a little longer to find out whether demand has far outstripped supply in the USA.https://tpucdn.com/img/Zp3Trq1mWoupgjzx_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Zp3Trq1mWoupgjzx.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xecqKXg6num6bzEc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xecqKXg6num6bzEc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/GfBCZYfjbmtYQ8wY_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GfBCZYfjbmtYQ8wY.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/VDtCF82Z1BJBtqqp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/VDtCF82Z1BJBtqqp.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318930/widespread-geforce-rtx-4080-super-card-shortage-reported-in-north-america)

[NextPowerUP]

Last week SK Hynix revealed ambitious plans (https://www.techpowerup.com/318646/sk-hynix-targets-hbm3e-launch-this-year-hbm4-by-2026) for its next wave of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) products—their SEMICON Korea 2024 presentation included an announcement about cutting-edge HBM3E entering mass production within the first quarter of this year. True next-gen HBM development has already kicked off—TPU's previous report outlines an HBM4 sampling phase in 2025, followed by full production in 2026. South Korea's Pulse News (https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2024&no=102633) believes that TSMC has been roped into a joint venture (with SK Hynix). An alleged "One Team" strategic alliance has been formed according to reports emerging from Asia—this joint effort could focus on the development of HBM4 solutions for AI fields.

Reports from last November pointed to a possible SK Hynix and NVIDIA HBM4 (https://www.tomshardware.com/news/sk-hynix-plans-to-stack-hbm4-directly-on-logic-processors) partnership, with TSMC involved as the designated fabricator. We are not sure if the emerging "One Team" progressive partnership will have any impact on previously agreed upon deals, but South Korean news outlets reckon that the TSMC + SK Hynix alliance will attempt to outdo Samsung's development of "new-generation AI semiconductor packaging." Team Green's upcoming roster of—"Hopper" H200 and "Blackwell" B100—AI GPUs are linked to a massive pre-paid shipment (https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/nvidia-reportedly-races-to-secure-memory-supply-for-next-gen-h200-ai-gpus-pre-purchases-dollar154-billion-in-hbm3e-memory) of SK Hynix HMB3E parts. HBM4 products could be fitted on a second iteration of NVIDIA's Blackwell GPU, and the mysterious "Vera Rubin" family. Notorious silicon industry tipster, kopite7kimi (https://twitter.com/kopite7kimi/status/1729757341170421989), believes that "R100 and GR200" GPUs are next up in Team Green's AI-cruncher queue.https://tpucdn.com/img/Xtxc4P9OT6jJEmGm_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Xtxc4P9OT6jJEmGm.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/swgXsf0Xq76kAXO2_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/swgXsf0Xq76kAXO2.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/W84RDZohc3dDiLYp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/W84RDZohc3dDiLYp.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/318929/tsmc-sk-hynix-reportedly-form-strategic-ai-alliance-jointly-developing-hbm4)

[NextPowerUP]

This week, Cisco and NVIDIA have announced plans to deliver AI infrastructure solutions for the data center that are easy to deploy and manage, enabling the massive computing power that enterprises need to succeed in the AI era. "AI is fundamentally changing how we work and live, and history has shown that a shift of this magnitude is going to require enterprises to rethink and re-architect their infrastructures," said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco. "Strengthening our great partnership with NVIDIA is going to arm enterprises with the technology and the expertise they need to build, deploy, manage, and secure AI solutions at scale." Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA said: "Companies everywhere are racing to transform their businesses with generative AI. Working closely with Cisco, we're making it easier than ever for enterprises to obtain the infrastructure they need to benefit from AI, the most powerful technology force of our lifetime."

A Powerful Partnership
Cisco, with its industry-leading expertise in Ethernet networking and extensive partner ecosystem, together with NVIDIA, the inventor of the GPU that fueled the AI boom, share a vision and commitment to help customers navigate the transitions for AI with highly secure Ethernet-based infrastructure. Cisco and NVIDIA have offered a broad range of integrated product solutions over the past several years across Webex collaboration devices and data center compute environments to enable hybrid workforces with flexible workspaces, AI-powered meetings and virtual desktop infrastructure.https://tpucdn.com/img/lBu1dfvTPjlATist_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lBu1dfvTPjlATist.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318926/cisco-nvidia-announce-easy-to-deploy-manage-secure-ai-solutions-for-enterprise)

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[NextPowerUP]

You can now play the demo for 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1439750/9Bit_Armies_A_Bit_Too_Far/) in the Steam Next Fest. Start your first strategic steps into 9-Bit Armies with the Overlords campaign. Play the first three missions, each with unique objectives and unlocks to try. Can you get a perfect result against our new AI challengers? After you have established control of your new forces commander try our new challenge mode, each one comes with a unique set of goals and twists to the game. Come back for a new challenge as we update them over Next Fest and see if you can reach the top spot on the leaderboard. Be sure to wishlist us and prepare for the full release that will include the co-op campaign, skirmish and multiplayer modes, and new modding support going far beyond what the previous game could do. Now go blow something up commanders!

Retro Real-Time Strategy Cranked Up To 9!
From Real-Time Strategy veterans Petroglyph (https://petroglyphgames.com/#games) comes 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far the sequel to their triumphant 8-Bit series (http://www.8bitarmies.com/) of games. In 9-Bit Armies rally your military forces across a variety of battlefields and act out your strategy over land, sea and air. Deploy your airborne soldiers, destroy bridges, and aim your superweapons in a new kind of pixelated pyromania. Whether you are brand new to real-time strategy wargames or an experienced commander - 9-Bit Armies provides an extra bit of fun.https://tpucdn.com/img/yFQkQw9sMo65kcrx_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/yFQkQw9sMo65kcrx.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/k49Y6lI2k9Qnz70l_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/k49Y6lI2k9Qnz70l.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Z5PkDgmxuHn7Rkgw_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Z5PkDgmxuHn7Rkgw.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/8nKhXIPBRaZaJJmR_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8nKhXIPBRaZaJJmR.jpg)
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ASRock, ODM giant Pegatron's retail channel brand, built its reputation over its high cost/performance motherboards, and got into graphics cards rather recently (less than 5 years ago), beginning with AMD Radeon graphics cards, before expanding into Intel Arc GPUs. The company has shown with its high-end AMD Radeon cards that it can design complex custom-design graphics cards with heavy cooling solutions, especially given that AMD Radeon boards tend to have more elaborate power designs than NVIDIA. So then, where are the ASRock GeForce RTX graphics cards? Korean tech publication QuasarZone set to find out from ASRock.

Put simply, ASRock does not rule out making custom design GeForce RTX graphics cards in the future, but says that getting into that market right now, is "challenging." NVIDIA now commands the vast majority of discrete GPU market, and as such most of the top DIY PC retail channel brands (such as ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE), sell both GeForce and Radeon products. They started making GeForce graphics cards decades ago, and have built market presence over the years. NVIDIA also has a set of board partners that exclusively sell GeForce—such as PNY, Palit-Gainward, Galax-KFA2, and Colorful, which make it all the more tough for ASRock to break in. On the specific question asked by Quasar Zone, here was ASRock's answer (machine translated to English by VideoCardz).https://tpucdn.com/img/dDTBUIqGnfENpXQZ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/dDTBUIqGnfENpXQZ.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/318923/asrock-dives-into-why-it-lacks-nvidia-geforce-graphics-cards-doesnt-rule-out-making-them-in-the-future)

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Intel released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers, Version 101.5252 Beta. This graphics driver update is a Game On driver for Helldivers 2 and Skull & Bones games for Intel Arc A-series Graphics and Intel Core Ultra CPUs with Intel Arc Graphics, as well as a Game On driver for Banishers: Ghost of New Eden on Intel Arc A-series Graphics.

The new driver also brings several game performance improvements on Intel Arc A-series Graphics products compared to the previous driver release, including up to 4 percent performance improvement in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (DX12), up to 5 percent in Palworld (DX12), and up to 71 percent performance in Snowrunner (DX11) game.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5252 Beta (https://www.techpowerup.com/download/intel-integrated-graphics-drivers/)https://tpucdn.com/img/EM4fyLEboCWgnr4c_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/EM4fyLEboCWgnr4c.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3VmWg0TdsDUET04j_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3VmWg0TdsDUET04j.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/f7Nf1CAdVfisWr56_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/f7Nf1CAdVfisWr56.jpg)
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Intel's upcoming limited edition desktop processor for overclockers and enthusiasts, the Core i9-14900KS, comes with a gargantuan 409 W maximum package power draw at stock speeds with its PL2 power limit unlocked, reports HKEPC, based on an OCCT database result. This was measured under OCCT stress, with all CPU cores saturated, and the PL2 (maximum turbo power) limited set to unlimited/4096 W in the BIOS. The chip allows 56 seconds of maximum turbo power at a stretch, which was measured at 409 W.

The i9-14900KS is a speed-bump over its predecessor, the i9-13900KS. It comes with a maximum P-core boost frequency of 6.20 GHz, which is 200 MHz higher; and a maximum E-core boost frequency of 4.50 GHz, which is a 100 MHz increase over both the i9-13900KS and the mass market i9-14900K. The i9-14900KS comes with a base power value of 150 W, which is the guaranteed minimum amount of power the processor can draw under load (the idle power is much lower). There's no word on when Intel plans to make the i9-14900KS available, it was earlier expected to go on sale in January, along the sidelines of CES.https://tpucdn.com/img/ulDrOHusJIjmBKiO_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ulDrOHusJIjmBKiO.jpg)

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ASML has revealed that its cutting-edge High-NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) chipmaking tools, called High-NA Twinscan EXE, will cost around $380 million each—over twice as much as its existing Low-NA EUV lithography systems that cost about $183 million. The company has taken 10-20 initial orders from the likes of Intel and SK Hynix and plans to manufacture 20 High-NA systems annually by 2028 to meet demand. The High-NA EUV technology represents a major breakthrough, enabling an improved 8 nm imprint resolution compared to 13 nm with current Low-NA EUV tools. This allows chipmakers to produce transistors that are nearly 1.7 times smaller, translating to a threefold increase in transistor density on chips. Attaining this level of precision is critical for manufacturing sub-3 nm chips, an industry goal for 2025-2026. It also eliminates the need for complex double patterning techniques required presently.

However, superior performance comes at a cost - literally and figuratively. The hefty $380 million price tag for each High-NA system introduces financial challenges for chipmakers. Additionally, the larger High-NA tools require completely reconfiguring chip fabrication facilities. Their halved imaging field also necessitates rethinking chip designs. As a result, adoption timelines differ across companies - Intel intends to deploy High-NA EUV at an advanced 1.8 nm (18A) node, while TSMC is taking a more conservative approach (https://www.techpowerup.com/318851/tsmc-allegedly-not-rushing-into-adoption-of-high-na-euv-machinery), potentially implementing it only in 2030 and not rushing the use of these lithography machines, as the company's nodes are already developing well and on time. Interestingly, the installation process of ASML's High-NA Twinscan EXE 150,000-kilogram system required 250 crates, 250 engineers, and six months to complete. So, production is as equally complex as the installation and operation of this delicate machinery.https://tpucdn.com/img/YQTCTyKCSBm58gDA_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/YQTCTyKCSBm58gDA.jpg)

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More than mere modes of transportation, today's software-defined vehicles are a result of the ongoing transformation of the automobile from a product that is mainly hardware-based to a software-centric device on wheels. Premium vehicles today can have up to 150 million lines of software code, distributed among hundreds of electronic control units (ECUs), sensors, cameras, Lidar and more.

It is critical for automotive OEMs to ensure the quality and reliability of these software-intensive systems. Automotive SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination) is an industry-standard guideline for evaluating the automotive embedded software development process. This ISO/IEC 15504 standard proves the software and development capabilities of automotive suppliers and manufacturers meet OEM requirements and incorporate best practices throughout the automotive software development cycle.https://tpucdn.com/img/xKoqOkfWJOG1ESsP_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xKoqOkfWJOG1ESsP.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319067/western-digital-achieves-aspice-cl3-certification-to-meet-dynamic-needs-of-the-automotive-industry)

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AMD today announced that JR Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu), a Japanese bullet train operator, is using the AMD Kria K26 System-on-Module (SOM) to automate track inspection. This AI-based solution replaces traditional methods of inspecting miles of track on foot, creating significant efficiencies by improving the inspection speed, cost and accuracy to meet Japan's stringent railway safety requirements. JR Kyushu bullet trains operate across an enormous territory of more than 1,455 miles of railroad tracks, with trains traveling at speeds of up to 161 mph. Safety is the company's number-one priority, requiring diligent track inspections carried out at specified intervals.

To increase the efficiency and accuracy of assessments, JR Kyushu chose an AMD-powered solution from Tokyo Artisan Intelligence (TAI), which uses high-speed image processing and advanced AI capabilities to detect and inspect loose bolts and other track issues. "With the new solution from TAI and AMD, we were able to improve the efficiency of conventional track inspection, and we anticipate further improvements in inspection efficiency through future functional enhancements," said Kazuhiro Sakaguchi, deputy manager in the Engineering Division, Shinkansen Department at JR Kyushu.https://tpucdn.com/img/SdqOW4ibrvDc2NUh_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SdqOW4ibrvDc2NUh.jpg)
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