TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

Corsair Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRSR) ("Corsair" or the "Company"), a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance products for gamers, streamers, content-creators, and gaming PC builders, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023, as well as guidance for 2024. Definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release and reconciliations of such measures to their nearest GAAP equivalents are included below under the heading "Use and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Andy Paul, Chief Executive Officer of Corsair, stated, "I am really excited to see that the gaming market is now showing signs of growth again after relaxing back from the surge that occurred during the pandemic. Consumer spending during the recent holiday period was better than we expected and we see that the high inventory levels at our competitors that were causing heavy discounting are generally back to normal. We saw a 16% year over year increase in our Gamer and Creator Peripherals segment for Q4 2023, which is a reflection of the market returning to growth and also Corsair gaining market share."https://tpucdn.com/img/l9jrngZ4UV2tCdyW_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/l9jrngZ4UV2tCdyW.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319065/corsair-gaming-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-financial-results)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319065/corsair-gaming-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-financial-results)

[NextPowerUP]

BIGBIG WON, a trailblazer in gaming peripherals, proudly announces the release of its RAINBOW 2 Pro Wireless Gaming Controller. This cutting-edge controller is poised to redefine gaming experiences across multiple platforms including Windows PC, Xbox, PS4, Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch. This competition grade controller boasts an array of high-end features that cater to the needs of both hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike. The RAINBOW 2 Pro is available for RRP £64.99 from Amazon UK and $64.99 on Amazon. It is also available as a combo with a charging dock, 3 sets of joystick caps and 2 sets of D-pad caps for RRP £79.99 on Amazon UK and $79.99 on Amazon.

The RAINBOW 2 Pro excels in its advanced features designed to provide a competitive edge for gamers. The BIGBIG WON "Elite" App allows real-time adjustments for motion control, joystick, trigger, buttons and Macro settings. The RGB lighting effects can also be personalized through the app, which enhances the gaming experience according to the user's preference. It also features 2 back buttons and 2 additional top buttons, which can be remapped as required. Additionally, Dual Motor Vibration is built-in, which has adjustable intensity levels, helping to make the gaming experience even more immersive. Interchangeable thumb-sticks and D-Pad are even included, which can be swapped for each game genre to help gain an advantage over other players.https://tpucdn.com/img/tuiZ2czmcznw0ntp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/tuiZ2czmcznw0ntp.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/CQEdYimzwZw1vkY8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/CQEdYimzwZw1vkY8.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/pzeqH6mAOtueTEzt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/pzeqH6mAOtueTEzt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/KwURMeFIfEGvqAMT_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/KwURMeFIfEGvqAMT.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lNcZ7qdPXz69o0yC_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lNcZ7qdPXz69o0yC.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319062/bigbig-won-unleashes-the-rainbow-2-pro-translucent-frosted-wireless-controller)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319062/bigbig-won-unleashes-the-rainbow-2-pro-translucent-frosted-wireless-controller)

[NextPowerUP]

Simply NUC, Inc, a leading computing solutions company focused on small form factor PCs, announced the launch of Bravo Canyon (ASUS NUC 13 Rugged), the newest addition to the Intel-based Rugged NUC lineup. Set to revolutionize embedded computing with its robust features, unparalleled versatility, and engineered to excel in demanding environments, Bravo Canyon offers a range of processor variants and customization options to meet the diverse needs of industrial applications.

"Bravo Canyon represents a significant leap forward in embedded computing," said Aaron Rowsell, Founder & President of Simply NUC. "With its powerful processor variants, rugged design, and extensive customization options, it's a game-changer for industries seeking reliable and adaptable computing solutions. We're proud to introduce a product that sets a new standard in the field."https://tpucdn.com/img/CpvPuphrk4uJkLtu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/CpvPuphrk4uJkLtu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/uPxS9t7kyItR91AA_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uPxS9t7kyItR91AA.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319055/simply-nuc-announces-new-intel-based-bravo-canyon-nuc-for-embedded-applications)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319055/simply-nuc-announces-new-intel-based-bravo-canyon-nuc-for-embedded-applications)

[NextPowerUP]

Last week, DLSS was available at launch in the Stormgate Steam Next Fest demo, and in The Inquisitor. Additionally, DLSS was also available for players of the new Atomic Heart: Trapped In Limbo expansion, and the newly-released Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2. This week, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden launches with DLSS 3, while Smalland: Survive the Wilds and Skull and Bones launch with DLSS 2.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Launches Today With DLSS 3 & DLAA
Focus Entertainment and DON'T NOD's Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden launches February 13th. In New Eden, 1695, communities of settlers are plagued by a dreadful curse. As Banishers, step into their lives, investigate the source of evil, unravel chilling mysteries, explore diverse landscapes, and interact with unforgettable characters whose fate lies in your hands. Immerse yourself in an intimate narrative Action-RPG, taking you on an exhilarating journey between life, death, love and sacrifices.https://tpucdn.com/img/UtxUzGezj8Z2IWCW_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UtxUzGezj8Z2IWCW.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319049/nvidia-dlss-coming-to-skull-and-bones-banishers-ghosts-of-new-eden-and-smalland-survive-the-wilds)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319049/nvidia-dlss-coming-to-skull-and-bones-banishers-ghosts-of-new-eden-and-smalland-survive-the-wilds)

[NextPowerUP]

Flight sim fans should suit-up and get ready for action as best-selling gaming headset and accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation today announced the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightdeck is now available. VelocityOne Flightdeck is Turtle Beach's premium combat HOTAS (Hands-On Throttle And Stick) flight simulation control system. It is designed to provide full-control mastery in today's sophisticated flight and space combat games on Windows 10 & 11 PCs. VelocityOne Flightdeck is available now from Turtle Beach and participating retailers for $399.99 MSRP.

"Whether you're flying in the skies or stratosphere, VelocityOne Flightdeck delivers an unmatched contemporary flight simulation experience," said Cris Keirn, Interim CEO & SVP of Global Sales, Turtle Beach Corporation. "We're excited to continue expanding our best-selling and award-winning lineup with the new VelocityOne Flightdeck HOTAS."https://tpucdn.com/img/sOzkArXp3dAlqd8N_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sOzkArXp3dAlqd8N.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/LXwzW2xSvJeovvmC_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/LXwzW2xSvJeovvmC.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/agTHKAkOFUelzsYj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/agTHKAkOFUelzsYj.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/m4hvzHjKiHP1AUHE_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/m4hvzHjKiHP1AUHE.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xwbdSd6968HEwmyd_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xwbdSd6968HEwmyd.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319048/turtle-beach-premium-velocityone-flightdeck-hotas-now-available)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319048/turtle-beach-premium-velocityone-flightdeck-hotas-now-available)

[NextPowerUP]

NVIDIA today released the latest version of its GeForce Game Ready software. Version 551.52 WHQL comes with optimization for "Skull and Bones." Among the gaming related bugs fixed with this release are an intermittent micro-stutter noticed with V-Sync enabled; a stuttering issue with "Red Dead Redemption 2" on some Advanced Optimus notebooks; and stability issues seen with "Immortals of Aveum" over extended gameplay sessions. Non-gaming issues fixed with this release include a stutter observed with some web-browsers in certain system configurations.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 551.52 WHQL (https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-geforce-graphics-drivers/)https://tpucdn.com/img/ut8sWRpWLL7uVYw9_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ut8sWRpWLL7uVYw9.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319046/nvidia-geforce-551-52-whql-game-ready-drivers-released)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319046/nvidia-geforce-551-52-whql-game-ready-drivers-released)

[NextPowerUP]

Cooler Master, a leading provider of PC components, gaming peripherals, and tech lifestyle solutions, has today announced the NR200P V2 - a redesigned new take on the classic high performance NR200P case. The V2 keeps things compact and frees up desk space without sacrificing any of the performance benefits users expect from an NR200P case, such as versatile cooling support and maximized airflow.https://tpucdn.com/img/xRdmrb3KbehjEhqh_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xRdmrb3KbehjEhqh.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319042/cooler-master-unveils-the-sequel-to-a-classic-case-the-nr200p-v2)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319042/cooler-master-unveils-the-sequel-to-a-classic-case-the-nr200p-v2)

[NextPowerUP]

China's homegrown Loongson 3A6000 CPU shows promise but still needs to catch up AMD and Intel's latest offerings in real-world performance. According to benchmarks by Chinese tech reviewer Geekerwan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpUJHHwedCw), the 3A6000 has instructions per clock (IPC) on par with AMD's Zen 4 architecture and Intel's Raptor Lake. Using the SPEC CPU 2017 processor benchmark, Geekerwan has clocked all the CPUs at 2.5 GHs to compare the raw benchmark results to Zen 4 and Intel's Raptor Lake (Raptor Cove) processors. As a result, the Loongson 3A6000 seemingly matches the latest designs by AMD and Intel in integer results, with integer IPC measured at 4.8, while Zen 4 and Raptor Cove have 5.0 and 4.9, respectively. The floating point performance is still lagging behind a lot, though. This demonstrates that Loongson's CPU design can catching up to global leaders, but still needs further development, especially for floating point arithmetic.

However, the 3A6000 is held back by low clock speeds and limited core counts. With a maximum boost speed of just 2.5 GHz across four CPU cores, the 3A6000 cannot compete with flagship chips like AMD's 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X running at 5.7 GHz. While the 3A6000's IPC is impressive, its raw computing power is a fraction of that of leading x86 CPUs. Loongson must improve manufacturing process technology to increase clock speeds, core counts, and cache size. The 3A6000's strengths highlight Loongson's ambitions: an in-house LoongArch ISA design fabricated on 12 nm achieves competitive IPC to state-of-the-art x86 chips built on more advanced TSMC 5 nm and Intel 7 nm nodes. This shows the potential behind Loongson's engineering. Reports suggest that next-generation Loongson 3A7000 CPUs will use SMIC 7 nm, allowing higher clocks and more cores to better harness the architecture's potential. So, we expect the next generation to set a bar for China's homegrown CPU performance.https://tpucdn.com/img/uv6cQj88Al7N9BkL_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uv6cQj88Al7N9BkL.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3a0MeAOpri5Idr59_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3a0MeAOpri5Idr59.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319040/loongson-3a6000-cpu-reportedly-matches-amd-zen-4-and-intel-raptor-lake-ipc)

[NextPowerUP]

Reports are circulating online that Nintendo's upcoming successor to the Switch console, tentatively referred to as the "Switch 2," will offer backward compatibility for physical game cards and digital purchases from the current Switch library. While Nintendo has yet to officially announce the new console, speculation points to a potential reveal as early as next month for a 2024 launch. The backward compatibility claims first surfaced last year when Nintendo America President Doug Bowser hinted at supporting continuity between console generations to minimize the sales decline when transitioning hardware. New momentum behind the rumors comes from gaming industry insiders Felipe Lima and PH Brazil, who, during recent podcasts, stated the Switch 2 has backward compatibility functionality already being shared with game developers.

Well-known gaming leakers "NateTheHate" and others have corroborated that testing is underway for playing current Switch games on new hardware. If true, this backward compatibility would be a consumer-friendly move that breaks from Nintendo's past tendencies of forcing clean breaks between console ecosystems. While details remain unconfirmed by Nintendo, multiple credible sources point to the upcoming Switch successor allowing gamers to carry forward both their physical and digital libraries to continue enjoying this generation's releases. If the compatibility remains, the hardware platform could stay in the playing field of the same vendor—NVIDIA—who provided Nintendo with Tegra X1 SoC. The updated version of the SoC could use a fork of NVIDIA's Orin platform (https://www.techpowerup.com/313564/nintendo-switch-2-to-feature-nvidia-ampere-gpu-with-dlss) based on Ampere GPU with DLSS, but official details are yet to be seen.https://tpucdn.com/img/hNnGiNFieh5RpDkw_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/hNnGiNFieh5RpDkw.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319039/nintendo-switch-2-could-retain-backward-compatibility-with-the-first-gen-console)

[NextPowerUP]

Humble Bundle, the digital retailer with a mission to be a force for good in the world, today announced it has surpassed a momentous milestone: raising over a quarter of a billion dollars for charities worldwide, together with its global community of game, book, and software lovers, by directing a portion of nearly every sale to a variety of worthy causes. Today's announcement coincides with the release of the Humble 2023 Social Impact Report, highlighting the results of last year's donations, which exceeded $14.4 million and supported more than 7,500 charities across a range of categories, including Humble's five core social impact focus areas: Health & Well-being, Crisis & Disaster Relief, Equity & Inclusion, Quality Education, and Climate Change & Sustainability.

Founded in 2010 by Jeff Rosen and John Graham, a couple of gamers seeking a new way to raise money for various charities, Humble Bundle pioneered the game bundle-for-charity model. Since then, the company has expanded its offerings and grown its focus on doing good, integrating it into every aspect of its business and operation. Its community has grown, too, demonstrating that being a force for good lies at the heart of what people want from the products and businesses they support.https://tpucdn.com/img/JUqkLAR3qR6FX6oN_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JUqkLAR3qR6FX6oN.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/wkBOfCyQSsJncwK0_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/wkBOfCyQSsJncwK0.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319037/humble-bundle-surpasses-usd-250-million-raised-for-charitable-causes-around-the-globe)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319037/humble-bundle-surpasses-usd-250-million-raised-for-charitable-causes-around-the-globe)

[NextPowerUP]

ZALMAN today introduced the P10 series Micro-ATX mini-tower case, which comes in black and white variants. A striking design feature with the case is its pillarless front-left corner, where the front- and left tempered glass panels meet. You still get a glass edge, this isn't a single piece glass panel. Inside, the case features a horizontally partitioned layout, with the bottom portion only accessible by removing the right panel, which is mostly perforated for good airflow. On the left- and front, this portion is completely walled off, but has some side-facing vents for passive ventilation for the PSU bay.

The motherboard bay of the ZALMAN P10 offers maximum clearance of 38.2 cm for graphics cards, and 17.3 cm for CPU coolers. There are 5 expansion slots, and a graphics card reinforcement that can be adjusted to fit the thickness of your graphics card. It counteracts PCB bending of graphics cards over time. Storage options include a single 3.5-inch bay, and an additional 2.5-inch mount. Ventilation options include either three 120 mm or two 140 mm vents at the top; two 120 mm along the bottom; and a 120 mm rear exhaust. You can mount a 360 mm or 280 mm radiator along the top, and a 240 mm radiator along the bottom. The case measures 216 mm x 418 mm x 422 mm (WxHxD), weighing 6.1 kg. The company didn't reveal pricing.https://tpucdn.com/img/yFJmAJFcCfuLLk5Z_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/yFJmAJFcCfuLLk5Z.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/vEwD6XlvHqvgCmNG_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/vEwD6XlvHqvgCmNG.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/sRDkwAViMTLsbFa8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sRDkwAViMTLsbFa8.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/SH6rjmItl1pCUimF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SH6rjmItl1pCUimF.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Gx5wzUkQn5SM956b_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Gx5wzUkQn5SM956b.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319036/zalman-intros-p10-micro-atx-mini-tower-with-pillarless-corner)

[NextPowerUP]

Solid State Disks Ltd. (SSDL), a leading manufacturer of solid-state-drives (SSDs) and a value-added reseller (VAR) of latest-technology Flash and DRAM solutions, has launched SCSIFlash-Fast, a swap-in upgrade/replacement for electromechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) that use the SCSI interface. Initially available with 68- and 80-pin connectors and write speeds of up to 80 MB/s, SCSIFlash-Fast uses proven SCSI drive architecture and industrial CFast or M.2 SSD memory (with storage capacities ranging from 2 GB to 1 TB). The drive features configurable hardware, allowing the OEMs of (or those responsible for maintaining) legacy systems to replace or upgrade obsolete HDDs that were made in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and improve system reliability and security.

James Hilken, SSDL's Sales & Marketing Director, says: "There are several computer-based systems in use within aerospace, defense, manufacturing, medical, telecommunications and other sectors that were designed decades ago and were fitted with then state-of-the-art SCSI hard disk drives. With their moving parts, these long-obsolete drives are increasingly failing. Our SCSIFlash-Fast drive is a highly reliable swap-in replacement for virtually any SCSI hard disk drive that's more than 20 years old." SCSIFlash-Fast is configured to order and can replicate the exact behavior of the SCSI HDD it replaces, meaning no modifications need to be made to the host system; which in many cases must not be modified (i.e. its functionality has been certified) or it is simply not cost-effective to do so. With SSDL's SCSIFlash-Fast, the SCSI version is set to that of the host system (SASI, SCSI-1, SCSI-2 or Ultra3) and the disk sector size is set to 256, 512, 768, 1024, 2048 or 4096. Other configurations can also be applied, including the preloading of data.https://tpucdn.com/img/DI6787vqRIdTHAB6_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/DI6787vqRIdTHAB6.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/XCz2haRvjhKQrXvb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XCz2haRvjhKQrXvb.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319031/solid-state-disks-introduces-scsiflash-fast-product-range)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319031/solid-state-disks-introduces-scsiflash-fast-product-range)

[NextPowerUP]

China's National Supercomputer Center (NUDT) introduced their Tianhe-3 system as a prototype back in early 2019—at the time it had been tested by thirty local organizations. Notable assessors included the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center. The (previous generation) Tianhe-2 system currently sits in a number seven position of world-ranked Supercomputers—offering a measured performance of 33.86 petaFLOPS/s. The internal makeup of its fully formed successor has remained a mystery...until now. The Next Platform (https://www.nextplatform.com/2024/02/09/the-mystery-of-tianhe-3-the-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-solved/) believes that the "Xingyi" monikered third generation supercomputer houses the Guangzhou-based lab's MT-3000 processor design. Author, Timothy Prickett Morgan, boasted about acquiring exclusive inside knowledge ahead of international intelligence agencies—many will be keeping an eye on the NUDT, since it is administered by the National University of Defence Technology (itself owned by the Chinese government).

The Next Platform has a track record of outing intimate details relating to Chinese-developed scientific breakthroughs—the semi-related "Oceanlight" system installed at their National Supercomputer Center (Wuxi) was "figured out (https://www.nextplatform.com/2022/03/11/pondering-the-cpu-inside-chinas-sunway-oceanlight-supercomputer/)" two years ago. Tianhe-3 and Oceanlight face significant competition in the form of "El Capitan"—this is the USA's prime: "supercomputer being built right now at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory by Hewlett Packard Enterprise in conjunction with compute engine supplier AMD. We need to know because we want to understand the very different—and yet, in some ways similar—architectural path that China seems to have taken with the Xingyi architecture to break through the exascale barrier."https://tpucdn.com/img/Uh1Y7jc0BPvyNhJE_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Uh1Y7jc0BPvyNhJE.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/MzRS1dXyq4NUt4N4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/MzRS1dXyq4NUt4N4.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3xi5dyyIJJumMYYJ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3xi5dyyIJJumMYYJ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/utiX6TBMBUxw9TLj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/utiX6TBMBUxw9TLj.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319029/nudt-mt-3000-hybrid-cpu-reportedly-utilized-by-tianhe-3-supercomputer)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319029/nudt-mt-3000-hybrid-cpu-reportedly-utilized-by-tianhe-3-supercomputer)

[NextPowerUP]

Hey Everyone,, thank you for your patience during the server maintenance. With it we deployed three "rapid-fixes" aimed at improving the situation with rewards often not being handed out properly, login-issues, and server capacity. To speak in technical terms, our services as well as our partner services have a rate limiter that denies connections beyond a volume per minute to prevent the entire system from failing. We managed to increase the rate limit from 10,000/min to 20,000/min and the total capacity of concurrent players was increased from 250,000 total to 360,000 total. This was however still not enough as the player count jumped to 360k after 5 1⁄2 minutes.

As such, the issue with login remains. If for any reason you get the "Failed to connect to server"issue it means that the maximum number of login requests for that particular minute is exceeded and/or that the servers are full and will require someone to log out before allowing new players in. As mentioned above, the increased capacity should require less retries to get in.https://tpucdn.com/img/P7zrQ6wpYkdpSw0C_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/P7zrQ6wpYkdpSw0C.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/pKVtrrhlExDAN4X4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/pKVtrrhlExDAN4X4.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/JuydmhX5LeMaCaTe_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JuydmhX5LeMaCaTe.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/QcQph99n7mBnuvJB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/QcQph99n7mBnuvJB.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319028/arrowhead-ceo-apologises-for-helldivers-2-server-issues)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319028/arrowhead-ceo-apologises-for-helldivers-2-server-issues)

[NextPowerUP]

Indie games are known for their daring and often groundbreaking approaches to visuals and storytelling. Ultros (https://www.ultrosgame.com/) is a new indie title coming to PS4, PS5, PC and Mac on February 13 (tomorrow!). The game is a twisted, time-looping sci-fi adventure. It's packed with high-stakes action, clever twists on classic game design ideas, intriguing, and often unsettling environmental storytelling, and crazy-colorful pop-psychedelic visuals that makes you wonder if the game came with its own built-in blacklight. This eye- and mind-dazzling adventure comes to PlayStation courtesy of Sweden-based developer Hadoque (https://twitter.com/HadoqueUltros). It tells the story of a spacefarer trapped in a nightmare time-cycle within a bizarre, seemingly demonic black-hole acting as a womb for an unspeakable cosmic horror-the titular Ultros. In the words of game director Mårten Brüggeman, "It's a psychedelic sci-fi platforming adventure, a combat- and gardening-driven experience. It also asks a lot of existential questions if you dive into it, as you explore the sarcophagus spaceship and try to understand what it is a metaphor for and what is dwelling inside."

Fight or foster
Ultros is fundamentally a search-action game where you explore an ever-expanding map that opens up further and further as you acquire more abilities for navigation and combat. It's a popular indie game genre, and Ultros expands on it with some unique gameplay twists centered around the ideas of karmic cycles: creation and destruction, nurture and killing. "It's a game about choices," explains Brüggeman, "where you can choose to play in a destructive or constructive way, and the choices you make change your interpretation of your in-game actions." The environment oozes with otherworldly threats, requiring skillful combat to neutralize the assorted hostile lifeforms. Variety is a big emphasis here. Ultros encourages you to use a diverse arsenal of moves in fun and creative ways to dispatch foes: dodge-and-strike attacks, jumping strikes, and even launching foes into the air to turn them into a living projectile weapon. "We want to combat to feel intimate and visceral to emphasize destruction, ruining the balance of disruption and construction within the current cycle. We focused on movements, forcing you to be near them to fight them are integral to what we wanted to do, the intensity and intimacy of one-on-one combat."https://tpucdn.com/img/7QZ0corI5Ms8bb54_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7QZ0corI5Ms8bb54.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/A75xoTpT5GakULKw_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/A75xoTpT5GakULKw.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/VAZ404qKjh69J31G_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/VAZ404qKjh69J31G.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/jrAdwMD5I1JF9qU1_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/jrAdwMD5I1JF9qU1.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319025/ultros-dev-discusses-plot-surreal-visuals-game-launches-tomorrow-feb-13)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319025/ultros-dev-discusses-plot-surreal-visuals-game-launches-tomorrow-feb-13)

[NextPowerUP]

Tachyum today announced that it has added a Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) to its Prodigy FPGA emulation system, empowering customers and partners with the ability to address bottlenecks and better optimize Prodigy performance for all applications and workloads. The PMU is an essential tool for collecting information about performance bottlenecks. It offers the ability to record a wide range of events that encompass every aspect of the Prodigy Universal Processor without slowing down the application itself. Tools like perf then present this information after the application is finished, enabling the identification and characterization of performance bottlenecks that may exist in the processor core, full mesh interconnect fabric, memory, and I/O subsystems. Perf is a go-to instrument for everybody working on performance assessment and tuning under Linux. The PMU's wide range of performance counters - supported by both software C-model and FPGA - facilitates both system debugging and performance tuning.

Tachyum's PMU enables faster time to market by allowing customers and partners to quickly identify performance issues and rapidly converge to a solution for all phases of go-to-market, including evaluation, development and final production testing. It provides an invaluable tool suite for customers spanning a broad array of markets, including AI, HPC and cloud computing.https://tpucdn.com/img/NyPtay2k16OWBR6t_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/NyPtay2k16OWBR6t.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319347/tachyum-demonstrates-pmu-running-on-prodigy-fpga-emulation-system)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319347/tachyum-demonstrates-pmu-running-on-prodigy-fpga-emulation-system)

[NextPowerUP]

Feast your eyes on the first pictures of an Intel "Granite Rapids" Xeon processor wafer, courtesy of Andreas Schilling with HardwareLuxx.de. This is Intel's first commercial silicon built on the new Intel 3 foundry node, which is expected to be the company's final silicon fabrication node to implement FinFET technology; before the company switches to Nanosheets with the next-generation Intel 20A. Intel 3 offers transistor densities and performance competitive to TSMC N3 series, and Samsung 3GA series nodes.

The wafer contains square 30-core tiles, two of which make up a "Granite Rapids-XCC" processor, with CPU core counts going up to 56-core/112-threads (two cores left unused per tile for harvesting). Each of the 30 cores on the tile is a "Redwood Cove" P-core. In comparison, the current "Emerald Rapids" Xeon processor uses "Raptor Cove" cores, and is built on the Intel 7 foundry node. Intel is planning to overcome the CPU core-count deficit to AMD EPYC, including the upcoming EPYC "Turin" Zen 5 processors with their rumored 128-core/256-thread counts, by implementing several on-silicon fixed-function accelerators that speed up popular kinds of server workloads. The "Redwood Cove" core is expected to be Intel's first IA core to implement AVX10 and APX.https://tpucdn.com/img/ip8LpTPiJClQQPKR_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ip8LpTPiJClQQPKR.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/jilwzxh3SlrMW7W0_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/jilwzxh3SlrMW7W0.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319345/intel-xeon-granite-rapids-wafer-pictured-first-silicon-built-on-intel-3)

[NextPowerUP]

GoDeal24 is a renowned international merchant of genuine, globally-valid software, selling at heavily discounted prices. Get Genuine Office 2021 Professional Plus at just $29.42, and free yourself from annual 365 subscriptions. Mac users can grab the latest Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac at just $54.88. Those building a new PC can supercharge them with the most powerful PC operating system, Windows 11 Pro, at just $14.91. Check out great deals on combos, and other editions.

Please use the coupon code SGO62 on the following items, to avail the prices you see here.
Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus at $29.42 (https://www.godeal24.com/microsoft-office-2021-professional-plus-1pc.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 2-PC at $52.53 (https://www.godeal24.com/microsoft-office-2021-professional-plus-2-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 3-PC at $72.33 (https://www.godeal24.com/microsoft-office-2021-professional-plus-3-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 5-PC at $84.87 (https://www.godeal24.com/microsoft-office-2021-professional-plus-5pcs.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac at $54.88 (https://www.godeal24.com/office-2021-home-and-business-for-mac.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac 2-units at $105.58 (https://www.godeal24.com/office-2021-home-and-business-for-2-macs.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2019 Professional Plus at $25.92 (https://www.godeal24.com/ms-office-2019-professional-plus-1pc.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2019 Home and Business for Mac at $31.91 (https://www.godeal24.com/office-home-and-business-2019-for-mac-cd-key-global.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $40.25 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-pro-office-2021-pro-bundle.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $37.52 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-pro-office-2019-pro-bundle.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $35.81 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-pro-office-2021-pro-bundle.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $31.12 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-pro-office-2019-pro-bundle.html?g24=sgo23)

Please use the coupon code SGO50 on the following items.
Buy Windows 11 Pro at $14.91 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-professional-cd-key.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro 2-PC at $27.74 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-pro-2-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro 3-PC at $39.60 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-professional-3-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro 5-PC at $59.13 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-professional-cd-key-5-pc.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Home at $14.58 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-home-1-pc.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Pro at $9.52 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-pro-professional-cd-key.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Pro 2-PC at $16.35 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-pro-professional-cd-key-32-64-bit-2-pc.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Pro 5-PC at $38.49 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-pro-5-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Home at $9.47 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-home-32-64-bit.html?g24=sgo23)

Go bananas with our bulk sale.
Buy Windows 10 Pro 50-PC at $357.50 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-professional-50-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 10 Pro 100-PC at $660 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-10-professional-100-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro 50-PC at $440 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-professional-50-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Windows 11 Pro 100-PC at $825 (https://www.godeal24.com/windows-11-professional-100-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Professional 50-PC at $1,155 (https://www.godeal24.com/microsoft-office-2021-pro-plus-50-keys.html?g24=sgo23) | Buy Office 2021 Professional 100-PC at $2,200 (https://www.godeal24.com/microsoft-office-2021-pro-plus-100-keys.html?g24=sgo23)https://tpucdn.com/img/u8YTExcI86l7lEyR_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/u8YTExcI86l7lEyR.jpg)
Check out great deals on system software you may want.Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319276/godeal24-kicks-off-february-with-software-super-sale)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319276/godeal24-kicks-off-february-with-software-super-sale)

[NextPowerUP]

Samsung is partnering with Square Enix to launch a limited collector's edition package of the 990 PRO 2 TB SSD co-branded with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (FFVII Rebirth). The package consists of a special 180 mm x 180 mm x 175 mm (WxDxH) cuboidal box with branding and imagery from FFVII Rebirth characters. Inside, you'll find a Samsung 990 PRO 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD with its reference heatsink. The heatsink makes the drive compatible with the PlayStation 5. There are no changes in the specs of the drive—it offers 2 TB of storage with a 2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM cache, and transfer speeds of up to 7450 MB/s sequential reads, and up to 6950 MB/s sequential writes, making it among the fastest Gen 4 SSDs in the market. But that's it with the bundle—you don't actually get the game, but a special edition box that can make for a good background prop if you're streaming. The limited collector's edition is expected to come out some time in March 2024.https://tpucdn.com/img/WeFREzpuOYB11Uvc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/WeFREzpuOYB11Uvc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Pied6Mr6QqJOjxkB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Pied6Mr6QqJOjxkB.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xHIOv6q0uTHRdmuS_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xHIOv6q0uTHRdmuS.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319344/samsung-and-square-enix-ready-ssd-990-pro-x-ffvii-rebirth-collectors-edition)

[NextPowerUP]

Starfield game patch version 1.9.67 just released, with official support for AMD FSR 3.0 and Intel XeSS. Support for the two performance enhancements was beta (experimental) until now. FSR 3.0 brings frame generation support to Starfield. The game had received DLSS 3 Frame Generation support in November 2023, but by then, FSR 3.0 support wasn't fully integrated with the game, as it had just began rolling out in September. The FSR 3.0 option now replaces the game's FSR 2.0 implementation. FSR 3.0 works on Radeon RX 7000 series and RX 6000 series graphics cards. The patch also fixes certain visual artifacts on machines with DLSS performance preset enabled.https://tpucdn.com/img/xR27daxSVHCGEfQX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xR27daxSVHCGEfQX.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319340/starfield-amd-fsr-3-0-and-intel-xess-support-out-now)

[NextPowerUP]

Supermicro, Inc., a Total IT Solution Manufacturer for AI, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is expanding its portfolio of AI solutions, allowing customers to leverage the power and capability of AI in edge locations, such as public spaces, retail stores, or industrial infrastructure. Using Supermicro application-optimized servers with NVIDIA GPUs makes it easier to fine-tune pre-trained models and for AI inference solutions to be deployed at the edge where the data is generated, improving response times and decision-making.

"Supermicro has the broadest portfolio of Edge AI solutions, capable of supporting pre-trained models for our customers' edge environments," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "The Supermicro Hyper-E server, based on the dual 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors, can support up to three NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, delivering unparalleled performance for Edge AI. With up to 8 TB of memory in these servers, we are bringing data center AI processing power to edge locations. Supermicro continues to provide the industry with optimized solutions as enterprises build a competitive advantage by processing AI data at their edge locations."https://tpucdn.com/img/JmPWyiqZN32UWWlr_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JmPWyiqZN32UWWlr.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319339/supermicro-unveils-new-edge-ai-systems)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319339/supermicro-unveils-new-edge-ai-systems)

[NextPowerUP]

ARM's in-progress fifth generation "Blackhawk" Cortex design is allegedly going through a troubled phase of development, according to Chinese insider sources. A Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) social media post highlights ongoing issues: "It's reported that the Cortex X5 architecture is underperforming compared to expectations. It's speculated that the high-frequency power consumption has surged explosively. Therefore, if performance is reduced for lower power consumption, the Geekbench 6 multi-core score of Dimensity 9400 (https://www.techpowerup.com/318260/mediatek-dimensity-9400-soc-reportedly-queued-for-tsmc-second-gen-3-nanometer-process) may not achieve a score of 9,400 points." A recent Moor Insights & Strategy analysis piece (https://www.techpowerup.com/317948/arm-confirms-existence-of-next-gen-cortex-x-blackhawk-unit) proposed that "Blackhawk" would become "the most powerful option available at launch" later this year—mobile chipsets leveraging ARM's Cortex-X5 design are touted to face tough next-gen competition from Qualcomm and Apple corners.

Revegnus pulled in a rival SoC: "While Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is seen to have minor issues, there is no evidence to support this claim. There might be a problem with low-frequency power consumption not showing clear superiority over ARM's middle cores." Qualcomm's next flagship model is performing admirably according to insiders—an engineering sample managed to score 10,628 points in alleged Geekbench 6 multi-core gauntlets. Late last month prototype clocks were leaked—Digital Chat Station claimed (https://www.techpowerup.com/318443/snapdragon-8-gen-4s-high-performance-core-allegedly-hitting-4-0-ghz) that a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 High-Performance "Big" core was capable of reaching 4.0 GHz. Prior to the latest news, MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 SoC was observed achieving ~10,000 multi-core Geekbench 6 scores—leaked CPU cluster details present a single "Big" Cortex-X5 unit operating alongside three Cortex-X4 cores.https://tpucdn.com/img/7zebpyaz8ys9VY3P_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7zebpyaz8ys9VY3P.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OHSmUBwIIPQ1fsKf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OHSmUBwIIPQ1fsKf.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ginXHdQqrtnmVZ1k_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ginXHdQqrtnmVZ1k.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319330/alleged-arm-cortex-x5-underperformance-linked-to-power-consumption-concerns)

[NextPowerUP]

PC hardware exhibitionists will pleased to discover that NBROS—a Japanese DIY parts specialist (http://www.nagao-ss.co.jp/syouhin.html)—is about to release display stands for CPUs and M.2 SSDs. News outlets were alerted to new retail listings on Yodobashi.com by an ever trusty internet sleuth: momomo_us (https://twitter.com/momomo_us/status/1759182445323452428?s=20). The CPU display stand (NB-CPU-DP07 (https://www.yodobashi.com/product/100000001008319605/)) and M.2 SSD display stand (NB-M2SSD-DP06 (https://www.yodobashi.com/product/100000001008319604/)) models are available to purchase, although the shipping date appears to be February 29—implying that you can only pre-order at this stage in time. The made-in-Japan CPU stand is priced at ¥1850 (~$12.34) including VAT, while the M.2-oriented display piece comes in at ¥2180 (~$14.54)—both offered with free delivery options.

The NBROS NB-CPU-DP07 display stand is formed of black-painted iron plating, with a stated thickness of 1.6 mm—overall dimensions seem to be 65 x 65 x 50 mm, and it weighs roughly 80 grams according to the Yodobashi listing. The display surface dimensions are not documented, but accompanying photos indicate that all sorts of CPU footprints are supported—including EPYC and Xeon profiles. The retail package bundles in a few helpful extras: a suction pad, rubber feet and an instruction manual. The NB-M2SSD-DP06 model is a larger and heftier prospect, with 85 x 100 x 95 mm dimensions and an approximate weight of 250 g. The NBROS 1.6 mm thick metal plate construction is once again employed, but the NB-M2SSD-DP06's accessory pack differs slightly—you get a set of mounting screw instead of a suction pad. The chunkiest and most robust M.2 2280 designs can be fastened onto its display stand.https://tpucdn.com/img/lG3MTzpUTH3ZKIe2_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lG3MTzpUTH3ZKIe2.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3T4z2S2xj6AuSGxE_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3T4z2S2xj6AuSGxE.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/PJwzdvsQTzYdIPpt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/PJwzdvsQTzYdIPpt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/caK7ZTWdkz4gZHcv_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/caK7ZTWdkz4gZHcv.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319329/nbros-cpu-and-m-2-ssd-physical-display-stands-available-to-pre-order-in-japan)

[NextPowerUP]

Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based games consultancy Kantan Games was interviewed by CNBC earlier this week—he was invited on-air to provide expert commentary on Sony's freshly revised sales and revenue forecast (https://www.techpowerup.com/319165/next-gen-games-consoles-predicted-to-cost-more-or-offer-smaller-performance-uplift) for PlayStation 5 products. He believes that great forward momentum is best achieved with refreshed hardware, and a well timed launch coinciding with the release of AAA/blockbuster games titles. Last autumn's rollout of slimmer PlayStation 5 consoles (https://www.techpowerup.com/314576/sony-announces-refreshed-slimmer-playstation-consoles-for-the-holiday-season-increases-pricing-of-the-ps5-digital) was not particularly exciting—with no major bump up in specs or attractive pricing. The development of an inevitable "Pro" variant has circulated around rumor mills for more than a year.

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and AMD are believed to co-operating on a very potent hardware redesign—reports from late last year (https://www.techpowerup.com/316630/sony-playstation-5-pro-packs-an-updated-rdna3-gpu-with-60-cu) posited that a semi-custom "Viola" SoC is in the pipeline. A more expensive RDNA 3-upgraded refresh could attract an additional segment of hardcore gamers, but another industry analyst reckons that Sony is unlikely to implement a standard model price cut later this year (based on past trends). George Jijiashvili, senior principal analyst at Omdia, stated: "A scenario where Sony launches a PS5 Pro, but still experiences declining year-on-year hardware sales is very much within the realms of possibility." Serkan Toto (of Kantan Games consultancy) expressed a more optimistic view: "There seems to be a broad consensus in the game industry that Sony is indeed preparing a launch of a PS5 Pro in the second half of 2024...And Sony will want to make sure to have a great piece of hardware ready when GTA VI hits in 2025, a launch that will be a shot in the arm for the entire gaming industry."https://tpucdn.com/img/XDQ07ReEYVxVsHyE_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XDQ07ReEYVxVsHyE.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/VYi6vHOzLNtPcnFz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/VYi6vHOzLNtPcnFz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/A5Jk5MSljuzGl5jH_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/A5Jk5MSljuzGl5jH.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319327/games-consultant-predicts-h2y24-launch-for-playstation-5-pro)

[NextPowerUP]

Acer today announced new models of the Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Swift Go 14 laptops, blending AI power and innovative features in stylish thin and light devices. The latest additions to the Swift lineup feature AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with up to AMD Radeon 780M Graphics and equipped with Ryzen AI for versatile performance and support for Acer's AI-powered capabilities such as Acer PurifiedVoice, Acer PurfiedView, and the new Acer LiveArt photo-editing feature. Intuitive control and seamless navigation on the AI PCs are made possible thanks to the AcerSense application and Copilot in Windows with instant access through dedicated keys. Users can also appreciate clear images and rich colors when working or streaming through the OLED laptops' displays, as well as Microsoft Pluton technology, enabled by default, to help secure devices, personal data, and encryption keys.

Harnessing the Power of AI with AMD Ryzen 8040 Series Processors
Designed to deliver premium AI experiences and reliable performance for everyday productivity, the Swift Edge 16 and Swift Go 14 laptops are powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI technology built in. AMD's latest processors enable the efficient distribution of AI workloads between accelerators on the NPU, GPU, and CPU, to advance user experiences with AI technology on the devices. It leverages AMD's "Zen 4" processor architecture with up to eight cores and delivers up to 16 threads of processing power, so creative professionals and mainstream users can expect fast, power-efficient computing and longer battery life on the ultrathin Swift laptops.https://tpucdn.com/img/HaHe2kA8F2CPjzif_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/HaHe2kA8F2CPjzif.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lWpSIZxflCpU1BEt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lWpSIZxflCpU1BEt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Bj5Z0P7jTYtUuEqf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Bj5Z0P7jTYtUuEqf.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319326/acer-launches-swift-series-laptops-powered-by-amd-ryzen-8040-series)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319326/acer-launches-swift-series-laptops-powered-by-amd-ryzen-8040-series)

[NextPowerUP]

Sennheiser is today officially launching the ACCENTUM Plus (https://www.sennheiser-hearing.com/en-US/p/accentum-plus-wireless/) headphones, bringing premium fan-favourite features to the line-up. "ACCENTUM Plus expands the reach of MOMENTUM 4's most coveted conveniences, while upholding the spirit of the ACCENTUM family's incredible value," says Christian Ern, Sennheiser Principal Product Manager, "The Plus sits right in the sweet spot of blissful sound and convenient technology."

Immersive, around-the-clock listening
In a world with endless content consumption options, ACCENTUM Plus has the stamina and controls for you to enjoy all of it. Featuring Sennheiser's expansive acoustic expertise, touch-gesture controls, Hybrid Adaptive Noise Cancellation and a luxurious build, they prioritise a better headphone listening experience for less. With a class-leading 50 hours of listening between charges and sound that rivals that of a stable, cabled connection, it's easy to forget that ACCENTUM Plus is even wireless. The Bluetooth 5.2 headphones emphasise outstanding sound quality and versatile connectivity, supporting all popular codecs including aptX Adaptive for optimum sound, no matter where you decide to take them.https://tpucdn.com/img/2j66t1MyIRv0iLs4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/2j66t1MyIRv0iLs4.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/4iPBdr6kKeH3mfSc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4iPBdr6kKeH3mfSc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/UQpqpLK7gcJRToG6_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UQpqpLK7gcJRToG6.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319325/sennheiser-launches-accentum-plus-wireless-headphones)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319325/sennheiser-launches-accentum-plus-wireless-headphones)

[NextPowerUP]

Pat Gelsinger—CEO of Intel Corporation—happily revealed late last month, during an earnings call (https://www.techpowerup.com/318408/intel-panther-lake-targets-substantial-ai-performance-leap-in-2025): "Clearwater Forest, our first Intel 18A part for servers has already gone into fab and Panther Lake for clients will be heading into Fab shortly." The former is positioned as the natural successor to Team Blue's many-times-delayed Xeon "Sierra Forest" (all E-Core) processor family. Intel's second generation E-core Xeon "Clearwater Forest" design (https://www.techpowerup.com/318256/intels-next-gen-xeon-clearwater-forest-e-core-cpu-series-spotted-in-patch) is expected to launch in 2025, with a deployment of "Darkmont" efficiency-oriented cores. Official product roadmaps and patch notes have revealed basic "Clearwater Forest" information, but we have not seen many leaks. Bionic_Squash has a history of releasing strictly internal Intel presentation slides—Meteor Lake (MTL-S) desktop SKUs (https://www.techpowerup.com/307772/intel-meteor-lake-desktop-cpus-spotted-in-presentation-leak-indicates-core-i3-and-i5-only) were uncovered last April.

Their latest discovery does not include any photo or documented evidence—Bionic_Squash's concise social media post (https://twitter.com/SquashBionic/status/1759631239563386952) stated: "Clearwater Forest uses 3D stacking with hybrid bonding." This claim points to the possible deployment of Foveros Direct advanced packaging—this technology was expected to be ready at some point within the second half of 2023, although a mid-December technology showcase (https://www.techpowerup.com/316589/intel-demos-3d-transistors-ribbonfet-and-powervia-technologies) implied that things were behind schedule. The fanciest "Clearwater Forest" Xeon processors could arrive with a maximum total of 288 E-core count (and 288 threads)—according to Wccftech analysis (https://wccftech.com/intel-clearwater-forest-xeon-cpus-288-e-cores-utilize-foveros-direct-3d-stacking-tech/): "The CPU package is going to consist of a base tile on top of the interposer which is connected through a high-speed I/O, EMIB, and the cores will be sitting on the topmost layer...Foveros Direct technology will allow direct copper-to-copper bonding, enabling low resistance interconnects and around 10-micron bump pitches. Intel itself states that Foveros Direct will blur the boundary between where the wafer ends and the package begins."https://tpucdn.com/img/ii0F9kGP3z0mkUmY_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ii0F9kGP3z0mkUmY.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/1cOZa8GLXcoRW8Ue_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/1cOZa8GLXcoRW8Ue.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/k7yAAxzeIsbf9IoE_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/k7yAAxzeIsbf9IoE.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319322/intel-xeon-clearwater-forest-cpus-could-utilize-direct-3d-stacking-technology)

[NextPowerUP]

According to sources close to The Information (https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsoft-develops-ai-server-gear-to-lessen-reliance-on-nvidia), Microsoft is developing a new custom networking card that could lessen the grip of NVIDIA's networking division, formed by the acquisition of Mellanox, on Microsoft server equipment. The card is reportedly intended to resemble NVIDIA's ConnectX-7 model, which supports 400 Gb Ethernet at maximum bandwidth. However, given that the chip is not out yet and availability is still far off, the final design could aim at higher Ethernet bandwidth (800 GbE, for example). Leading the network card project is Pradeep Sindhu, who previously co-founded Juniper Networks. Microsoft acquired Sindhu's latest startup, Fungible, last year, bringing him on board to head up this effort. By creating its own high-speed networking hardware tailored for AI workloads, Microsoft aims to accelerate and lower the cost of model training for AI ambitions, as well as reduce reliance on NVIDIA as the primary supplier of high-performance networking cards.

The Information's sources say developing the new network card will take over a year. But if successful, Microsoft's infrastructure could get a performance uplift from specific optimizations needed in its hyperscaler data centers. The card may also enable energy savings compared to NVIDIA's networking gear. This would aid Microsoft in keeping its AI training costs in check even as model sizes rapidly scale up. In the long term, having custom networking technology purpose-built for AI could give Microsoft a competitive advantage. It would grant more control over optimizing and updating its data center hardware for evolving AI workloads from OpenAI and other partners. Though NVIDIA GPUs currently dominate AI acceleration, alternatives like Microsoft's Maia chip and networking cards could loosen its grip. As AI permeates more business and consumer applications, Microsoft is making big bets on next-gen infrastructure for an AI-centric future.https://tpucdn.com/img/AigVQQA6CJ4AgdCq_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/AigVQQA6CJ4AgdCq.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319323/microsoft-is-developing-custom-networking-solutions-to-break-free-from-nvidias-grip)

[NextPowerUP]

For the second half of February, we have some surprise games, some not-so-surprise games, Perks, and a DLC—plenty to get you gaming now and to prime your pre-install buttons! Whether you boot up Bluey: The Videogame to play with the family, jump into Madden NFL 24 to try and recreate the big game how you would have played it, or just want to play Maneater to see what it'd be like to be an absolute menace as a shark, we have you covered. Let's get to the games!

Available Today:
Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC)
A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long lost A.I. god known as Grace. Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago in this first-person narrative adventure set in a visually stunning '60s retro sci-fi world.https://tpucdn.com/img/ef7z8I9P4fVKoMCw_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ef7z8I9P4fVKoMCw.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/sHNj2osygXCMd6Yv_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sHNj2osygXCMd6Yv.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/HoAdW7zSfyaauYqc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/HoAdW7zSfyaauYqc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Gsq9BUgWG9wiuM84_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Gsq9BUgWG9wiuM84.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319321/xbox-game-pass-late-february-additions-revealed)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319321/xbox-game-pass-late-february-additions-revealed)

[NextPowerUP]

Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and Cadence Design Systems Inc. today announced a multiyear strategic agreement to jointly develop a portfolio of key customized intellectual property (IP), optimized design flows and techniques for Intel 18A process technology featuring RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery. Joint customers of the companies will be able to accelerate system-on-chip (SoC) project schedules on process nodes from Intel 18A and beyond while optimizing for performance, power, area, bandwidth and latency for demanding artificial intelligence, high performance computing and premium mobile applications.

"We're very excited to expand our partnership with Cadence to grow the IP ecosystem for IFS and provide choice for customers," said Stuart Paann, Intel senior vice president and general manager of IFS. "We will leverage Cadence's world-class portfolio of leading IP and advanced design solutions to enable our customers to deliver high-volume, high-performance and power-efficient SoCs on Intel's leading-edge process technologies."https://tpucdn.com/img/HvQUAa40HS3Lk1DE_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/HvQUAa40HS3Lk1DE.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/319320/intel-foundry-services-ifs-and-cadence-design-systems-expand-partnership-on-soc-design)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319320/intel-foundry-services-ifs-and-cadence-design-systems-expand-partnership-on-soc-design)

[NextPowerUP]

The mysterious Zen 6 "Morpheus" processor architecture was leaked accidentally (https://www.techpowerup.com/307182/amd-zen-5-nirvana-and-zen-6-morpheus-core-codenames-leaked-confirm-foundry-nodes) by an AMD engineer's LinkedIn profile—news outlets picked up on this information last April. Naturally, Team Red's next priority is Zen 5—the latest reports suggest (https://www.techpowerup.com/319241/amd-zen-5c-ccds-made-on-more-advanced-3-nm-node-than-zen-5) that two different chiplet designs are penciled in for mass production within the second quarter of 2024. Last September, insiders claimed that a proposed EPYC 9006 "Venice" (https://www.techpowerup.com/313421/leak-suggests-amd-6th-gen-epyc-venice-cpus-linked-to-new-sp7-socket) CPU series was based on the sixth-gen microarchitecture. Everest/Olrak_29 has revealed various bits of speculative material (https://twitter.com/Olrak29_/status/1759662011842240948) regarding futuristic "Ryzen Client" processor designs since the start of 2024.

The latest postings to social media posit that AMD has selected an RDNA 5-based integrated graphics solution (possibly occupying a tile), thus "skipping RDNA 4" on their "Medusa" lineup of Ryzen Client processors. Leaked Microsoft documents revealed that its Xbox hardware design division was considering RDNA 5 (https://www.techpowerup.com/313802/leak-suggests-next-gen-xbox-planned-for-2028-amd-zen-6-rdna-5-considered) for next-gen console specs. Medusa's CPU aspect is allegedly populated by Zen 6 "Morpheus" cores—as claimed in a January tweet. A new package design was also riffed on at the time: "Yes, I have teased this before...Medusa will use 2.5D interconnect with a much higher bandwidth," instead of a "traditional" multi-die design. Industry speculation has AMD's Zen 6 client architecture linked to a loose 2025/2026 launch window.https://tpucdn.com/img/rvwaWjgUbEPqEgki_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rvwaWjgUbEPqEgki.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ZdrUrT6tEGiIwF6G_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ZdrUrT6tEGiIwF6G.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/dQTY15lEbBeITLv4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/dQTY15lEbBeITLv4.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/319318/zen-6-rdna-5-linked-to-amd-medusa-ryzen-client-cpus)