With Intel's Alder Lake processor generation launch, the platform merges support of two different DDR memory standards: DDR4 and DDR5. While there are motherboards that offer the latest DDR5 standard, there are boards that provide users to use the cheaper DDR4 memory option in their builds as we transition to the newer standard and newer memory becomes more available. The DDR5 products are currently on the expensive side, and DDR4 represents a good choice for creating a PC build in the following years, at least in the transition to DDR5 standard's better availability and lower prices.



According to Moore's Law is Dead Twitter account, the DDR4 support may reside for a little longer on Intel's platforms. As per their sources, Intel's 13th generation Core processors, codenamed Raptor Lake, will carry over DDR4 platform support and possibly retain compatibility with the 12th generation Alder Lake platform. That means that the Z690 and future H670/B660/H610 boards could be compatible with Raptor Lake-S and also carry support for the DDR4 memory protocol for it. This could indicate that Alder Lake-S buyers that build PCs with DDR4 memory could have a viable processor upgrade path without upgrading the memory. Of course, information like this should be taken with a grain of salt.

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AMD Could Use Infinity Cache Branding for Chiplet 3D Vertical Cache
AMD in its Computex 2021 presentation showed off its upcoming "Zen 3" CCD (CPU complex dies) featuring 64 MB of "3D vertical cache" memory on top of the 32 MB L3 cache. The die-on-die stacked contraption, AMD claims, provides an up to 15% gaming performance uplift, as well as significant improvements for enterprise applications that can benefit from the 96 MB of total last-level cache per chiplet. Ahead of the its debut later today in the company's rumored EPYC "Milan-X" enterprise processor reveal, we're learning that AMD could brand 3D Vertical Cache as "3D Infinity Cache."



This came to light when Greymon55, a reliable source with AMD and NVIDIA leaks, used the term "3D IFC," and affirmed it to be "3D Infinity Cache." AMD realized that its GPUs and CPUs have a lot of untapped performance potential with use of large on-die caches that can make up for much of the hardware's memory-management optimization. The RDNA2 family of gaming GPUs feature up to 128 MB of on-die Infinite Cache memory operating at bandwidths as high as 16 Tbps, allowing AMD to stick to narrower 256-bit wide GDDR6 memory interfaces even on its highest-end RX 6900 XT graphics cards. For CCDs, this could mean added cushioning for data transfers between the CPU cores and the centralized memory controllers located in the sIOD (server I/O die) or cIOD (client I/O die in case of Ryzen parts).

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(PR) GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Breaks Overclocking Records of Dual 8GHz on i9-12900K+DDR5
GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announces today Z690 AORUS TACHYON motherboard with the latest 12th generation Intel Core i9 12900K processor and LN2 liquid nitrogen heat dissipation set the world-leading overclocking records of dual 8 GHz, which is 8000 MHz on i9-12900K CPU and 8300 MHz on DDR5 memories. GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS TACHYON motherboard designed by world-famous overclocker equips with plenty functions exclusively for extreme overclockers, which promise overclockers higher scores with easier operation, establishing GIGABYTE's leading role in overclocking on the Z690 motherboards.



"GIGABYTE demonstrate its determination of returning to the overclocking glory with the launch of the Z590 AORUS TACHYON motherboard, and the release of the Z690 AORUS TACHYON further verified the continuation of GIGABYTE's overclocking pedigree on motherboards." said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division. "Z690 AORUS TACHYON proves GIGABYTE's strong R&D strength on LN2 overclocking by the world records it created. We will definitely use Z690 AORUS TACHYON to create better overclocking performance, and can't wait to see that overclockers around the world use this motherboard to break more world records.
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(PR) Xiaomi Introduces New Water Cooling Technology for Mobile Devices
Xiaomi today unveiled its latest breakthrough in heat dissipation - Loop LiquidCool Technology. Inspired by cooling solutions used in the aerospace industry, Loop LiquidCool Technology utilizes a capillary effect which draws liquid cooling agent to the heat source, vaporizes, and then disperses the heat efficiently towards a cooler area, until the agent condenses and is captured via a unidirectional closed looped channel. Compared to conventional vapor chambers solutions, this new technology has twice the cooling capabilities and ranks as the most efficient smartphone cooling solution. Xiaomi aims to bring Loop LiquidCool Technology to its products in H2 2022.



This new technology features an annular heat pipe system that is composed of an evaporator, a condenser, a refill chamber, as well as gas and liquid pipes. Placed at heat sources, the evaporator has refrigerant that evaporates to gas when the smartphone is under high workload. The gas and airflow is then diffused to the condenser, where the gas condenses into liquid again. These liquids are absorbed and collected through tiny fibers in the refill chamber—which refills the evaporator—making it a self-sustaining system.
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Intel Core i5-12400F Allegedly Offers Ryzen 5 5600X Performance for 200 USD
Intel has recently released their first 12th Gen Core desktop processors with the 125 W TDP K-Series and they appear to be preparing to launch the mid-range 65 W TDP chips in the coming months. The i5-12400F is set to feature 6 cores and threads consisting entirely of high-performance cores without any efficiency cores as found in the existing lineup. The processor features a peak single-core clock speed of 4.4 GHz, while multi-core speeds are 4.0 GHz and 3.4 GHz at PL2 and PL1 power limits respectively. The chip features a 65 W TDP/PL1 power rating and an apparent Maximum Turbo Power PL2 value of 117 W.



This processor has reportedly been tested by French publication Comptoir Hardware where it consistently matched or surpassed the Ryzen 5 5600X in synthetic and gaming benchmarks. These benchmarks were run on Windows 11 with DDR5 memory running at an unspecified speed and an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT GPU. We have recently seen a listing for the processor at a Canadian retailer which lists the i5-12400F for 249 CAD (200 USD) which if true would be a sizable jump from the 157 USD price of its predecessor but still significantly under the 280 USD Ryzen 5 5600X. The Intel Core i5-12400F is expected to be officially announced sometime in January 2022 possibly at CES 2022.

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(PR) NZXT Announces CRFT Mass Effect Puck
NZXT, a community-driven provider of PC hardware, software, and services today announces a new Puck in NZXT's CRFT series of fan-inspired licensed products based on the iconic space opera series, Mass Effect. This year NZXT is celebrating N7 Day in style. N7 day lands on November 7th each year and is aptly named after the Systems Alliance rank from the Mass Effect Trilogy.



The NZXT Mass Effect Puck features the seal of the N7 special forces and designates each Puck owner's achievement of completing the training program of the highly sought-after special class. Not only is this special edition Puck a great way to showcase N7 Day pride, it's also a stylish way to store headsets, VR headsets, or cables magnetically on a PC case.
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Early Signs of AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Price Cuts Emerge
Performance reviews of the Intel 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" processors are out, and spell big trouble for AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors at their current prices. Until the company can refresh these processors, it must content with price-cuts. Early signs of these are already out. American retailer Micro Center just put out a sub-$300 price for the Ryzen 7 5800X, at $299. Prices of the Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 5 5600X remain unchanged, at $500 and $280, respectively, but it's only conceivable that these too will change. At current prices, the Core i7-12700K offers 15% higher performance per Dollar than the Ryzen 7 5800X.

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(PR) Introducing Aonic Free: Shure's First True Wireless Earphones
Shure is unveiling the latest addition to its AONIC listening portfolio—AONIC FREE True Wireless Sound Isolating Earphones. Following up on the heels of the launch of AONIC 215 GEN 2, the AONIC FREE earphones introduce a new hook-free, pocketable design and unite it with the same unmatched studio quality sound that artists, audiophiles, commuters, technophiles, and music lovers have relied on from Shure's AONIC line. AONIC FREE boasts top-notch call performance in a sleek, lightweight, and compact design with long-lasting battery life, meaning these earphones are ready for an on-the-go lifestyle and the adventure that lies ahead.



Engineered from decades of experience supporting legendary performers, AONIC FREE provides clear, studio-quality sound with deep bass. This class-leading sound is powered by a premium amplifier and driver combination that was rigorously tested and tuned together—providing an unparalleled listening experience tailored to user preferences. In a world where personalization is expected, listeners can express their musical identity by customizing their audio experience with the ShurePlus Play app's custom multi-band EQ and pre-sets.
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