Apple has advised users that they should disable Intel's Hyper-Threading feature on the company's computers due to the recently exposed MDS vulnerabilities. Citing internal testing, Apple said that users can expect an up to 40% performance loss in such a scenario (depending on system and workload, naturally) in various benchmarks and multithreaded workloads. The performance loss is understandable - you're essentially halving the number of threads available for your CPU to process data.



Like Intel said, it becomes an issue of how much users value their performance compared to the security risks involved: a classic risk/benefit scenario, which shouldn't ever be in the equation, after all. If users buy a system with a CPU that has known performance levels, they will obviously expect those to be valid for the longevity of the product, unless otherwise stated and considering operational variances that fall within a margin of error/product obsolescence. Halving your performance because of a design flaw that resulted from an effort to achieve higher and higher IPC increases doesn't strike as a way to inspire confidence in your products.

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Former Playstation Exclusives Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls and Detroit: Become Human Release Dates Outed
The former PS4 exclusives Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls and Detroit: Become Human have had announcement dates for their releases on the PC platform. The games, developed by Quantic Dream for the PlayStation platform, are considered some of the best in terms of narrative-focused, visual storytelling experiences in the industry, and have previously been locked behind platform exclusivity that meant Xbox and PC players were being left in the cold regarding these titles.



Heavy Rain will see its release on June 24th for the PC platform, closely followed by Beyond: Two Souls on July 27th - a month difference so gamers can get them across at least two different paychecks. Detroit: become Human will be released in the Fall of 2019, though at an unspecified date (so far). The games will be Epic Games Store exclusives, and free demos will be made available for all titles. A trailer has been released for these demos, which you can catch after the break.
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Rage 2 Both Featured and Didn't Feature Denuvo on Release, Bethesda Removes the DRM From Steam Store Version
This is an interesting way to go about implementing DRM in the form of Denuvo - include it in one digital store release, but don't use it on another. This is what Bethesda has apparently done with the game, releasing a non-Denuvo enabled version of the game on their Bethesda Store, whilst offering a Denuvo-inclusive version on the Steam Store - without warning users of this feature on the platform.



After considerable outcry from buyers of the game, who weren't made aware of Denuvo's inclusion, Bethesda has promptly removed the DRM suite from the Steam release, meaning that it is now at parity with the version being distributed on the Bethesda Store. Whether the non-inclusion of Denuvo on the Bethesda store was a matter of making the wrong executable available only the company knows, but it's strange to license the DRM for a single store release - and Bethesda sure didn't include it "accidentally" on the Steam version, which makes the act of not listing it a debatable one. Of course, with one version not sporting the DRM, release groups have already started distributing the game in a cracked state, which obviously invalidates any protection Denuvo might provide.

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(PR) GeIL Announces EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory for SFF Systems
GeIL (Golden Emperor International Ltd.), one of the world's leading PC components and peripheral manufacturers, has announced a partnership with ASRock to expand their gaming product line and launch the EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory. This new memory module delivers the hardcore gaming experience gamers and enthusiasts demand for their SFF (small form factor) systems.



The all-new EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is fully compatible with ASRock Phantom Gaming motherboards, including the latest Z390 Phantom Gaming X, Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 and X399 Phantom Gaming 6. It is available as single modules and kits up to 64GB and runs as low as 1.2V and at max 1.35V, thereby resulting in less power consumption and higher reliability. Featuring a stylish and stealthy standard-height heat spreader, EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory can be used in most case designs especially the SFF (small form factor) systems and full-sized gaming PCs. It's ideal for gamers, enthusiasts, and case modders looking to maximize gaming performance with minimum investment.
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Steam Link Application Launched for iOS and Apple TV
Steam's Link application, which allows users to stream their games from PC to the desired device, has finally come to iOS and Apple TV. Originally, the application was expected to release on Android and iOS at the same time, but it has been available on Android devices for more than a year now and iOS support just landed. The reason behind this was rejection from Apple to include such an application in their store.



While the application finally got released for iOS and Apple TV (so you can stream games to your TV as well), it isn't the same as the Android version. Mainly, the difference is simple - no game purchases are allowed in iOS/Apple TV version. That decision came after Valve, the company behind Steam, decided to remove that feature in order to comply with Apple's App Store rules. If game purchasing was allowed then Valve would have to share a cut of the profits with Apple. So far the application has an excellent rating and users have positive opinions about it. You can find it here.

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(PR) Aqua Computer Unveils Farbwerk Nano, A Tiny USB-powered RGB Controller
The farbwerk nano from Aqua Computer is a tiny USB powered RGB LED controller. It is capable of controlling 90 addressable RGB LEDs and offers unique new functions that also include a light sensor. With the integrated button it can be simply switched on and off, stored profiles can be changed by double-clicking the button and the brightness of connected LED strips can be adjusted by pressing it for a longer time. Much work has been invested in the powerful aquasuite control software. As in a video editing program, up to 20 controllers can be freely assigned, moved, copied and even cloned to areas on the LED strips using drag & drop. A newly developed technology that Aqua Computer describes as ALPHApx allows for the first time to freely combine many different effects through transparency in different layers.



Another highlight is the AMBIENTpx feature. This beautifully programmed intelligent backlight for monitors can now cover almost any panel size with up to 90 LEDs. If more LEDs are required, one can combine several farbwerk nano. The analyzed image areas can be configured and AMBIENTpx also features a filter to ignore the letterbox in videos. When it comes to video and sound, the farbwerk nano is really strong. With special Sound-to-Light effects, level indicators and effects controllable via sound, there are incredible possibilities to set sound on stage.
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(PR) Scythe Announces the Fuma 2 Dual Tower-type CPU Cooler
Scythe announces the release of new dual-towers cooler, Fuma 2, the successor of the Fuma family. With enlarged fins of heatsink and two Kaze Flex 120 mm fans, Fuma 2 increases 15 percent cooling efficiency compared to the first version. Asymmetrical design and cutout allow unlimited access to RMA module, and HPMS III mounting system guarantees convenient and secure installation as well as perfect contact pressure of most modern sockets and platform. The Scythe Fuma 2 is now available in North America at an MSRP of USD $59.95.
The specifications follow.
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ASRock Outs Z390 Phantom Gaming 4S Motherboard
ASRock today rolled out the Z390 Phantom Gaming 4S motherboard. Clearly built to a cost, the board ships with a narrow ATX PCB, and is positioned below both the Z390 Phantom Gaming 4 and the Z390 Pro4. It draws power from a 24-pin ATX and an 8-pin EPS, conditioning it for the CPU with a 6+2 phase VRM. The LGA1151 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, and a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16. The second x16 slot is electrically x4 and wired to the PCH. An M.2 PCIe E-key slot (for WLAN cards) and three open-ended PCIe 3.0 x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion area. Storage connectivity includes just the one M.2-22110 slot (PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring), and six SATA 6 Gbps ports.



Display outputs include just the one HDMI port. USB connectivity includes eight USB 3.2 gen 1 ports, four on the rear panel, four by headers. The board's sole 1 GbE network interface is driven by an Intel i219-V controller. The onboard audio solution combines a rather premium Realtek ALC1220 CODEC with 6-channel analog output, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. Separate PS/2 ports, one 3-pin addressable-RGB, two 4-pin RGB, and five 4-pin PWM fan headers make for the rest of this board. We expect this to be ASRock's cheapest Z390 offering, priced between USD $110-120.

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AMD Confirms Launch of Next-gen Ryzen, EPYC and Navi for Q3
During AMD's annual shareholder meeting today, AMD president and CEO Dr. Lisa Su confirmed the launch of next-generation AMD Ryzen, EPYC CPUs and Navi GPUs for the third quarter of this year. The expected products are going to be manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process and will be using new and improved architectures.



Ryzen 3000 series CPUs are rumored to have up to as much as 16 cores in Ryzen 9 SKUs, 12 cores in Ryzen 7 SKUs and 8 cores in Ryzen 5 SKUs. EPYC server CPUs will be available in models up to 64 cores. All of the new CPUs will be using AMD "Zen 2" architecture that will offer better IPC performance and, as rumors suggest for consumer models, are OC beasts. Navi GPUs are the new 7 nm GPUs that are expected to be very competitive both price and performance wise to NVIDIA's Turing series, hopefully integrating new technologies such as dedicated Ray Tracing cores for higher frame rates in Ray Tracing enabled games. No next generation ThreadRipper launch date was mentioned, so we don't yet know when and if that will that land.

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