TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

NVIDIA's GeForce "Blackwell" generation of gaming GPUs will stick to being traditional monolithic die chips. The company will not build its next generation of chips as either disaggregated devices, or multi-chip modules. Kopite7kimi, a reliable source with NVIDIA leaks, says that the largest GPU in the generation, the "GB202," is based on a physically monolithic design. The GB202 is expected to power the flagship GeForce RTX 5090 (or RTX 4090 successor), and if NVIDIA sticking to traditional chip design for this, then it's unlikely that smaller GPUs will be any different.

In contrast, AMD started building disaggregated devices with its current RDNA 3 generation, with its top two chips, the "Navi 31" and "Navi 32," being disaggregated chips. An interesting rumor suggests that team red's RDNA 4 generation will see a transition from disaggregated chips to multi-chip modules—packages that contain multiple fully-integrated GPU dies. Back to the green camp, and NVIDIA is expected to use an advanced 4 nm-class node for its GeForce "Blackwell" GPUs.

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[NextPowerUP]

MediaTek today announced the Dimensity 7300 and the Dimensity 7300X, a pair of ultra-efficient 4 nm chips for high-tech mobile offerings. Providing best-in-class power efficiency and excellent performance, the Dimensity 7300 chipsets enable effortless multitasking, superior photography, accelerated gaming, and AI-enhanced computing; additionally, the Dimensity 7300X is designed with flip-style foldable devices in mind, providing support for dual displays.

Both MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipsets have an octa-core CPU consisting of 4X Arm Cortex-A78 cores operating at up to 2.5 GHz paired with 4X Arm Cortex-A55 cores. The 4 nm process provides up to 25% lower power consumption in the A78 cores compared to the Dimensity 7050. The CPU works together with the latest Arm Mali-G615 GPU and a suite of MediaTek HyperEngine optimizations to accelerate gaming experiences. In comparison to competitor alternatives, the Dimensity 7300 series offers 20% faster FPS and 20% improved energy efficiency. To further enhance gaming experiences, the new chips utilize smart resource optimization, optimize 5G and Wi-Fi game connections, and support Bluetooth LE Audio technology with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo Audio.
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[NextPowerUP]

Microsoft on Wednesday made the DirectSR API Preview available to game developers through the DirectX GitHub. The API aims to simplify implementation of super-resolution technologies with games. A super-resolution technology renders your game at a lower resolution that your display resolution, and upscales it to your display resolution using intelligent upscalers that attempt to reconstruct details lost to the process. This yields a significant gain in performance from the lower render resolution, and lets you max out game settings—something you could only do if your hardware was up to it. By default, DirectSR provides an upscaling technology based on AMD FSR 2.2, but the API looks for the best available technology available with the graphics drivers that are supported by the game. All three discrete GPU makers responded positively to DirectSR.

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[NextPowerUP]

In addition to its two new CPU cores, Arm has announced three new GPU cores, namely the Immortalis-G925, Mali-G725 and Mali-G625. Starting from the top, the Immortalis-G925 is said to bring up to 37 percent better performance at 30 percent lower power usage compared to last year's Immortalis-G720 GPU core, whilst having two additional GPU cores in the test scenario. It's also said to bring up to 52 percent better ray tracing performance and up to 36 percent improved inference in AI/ML workloads. It's also been given a big overhaul when it comes to ray tracing—due to it being aimed towards gaming phones—and Arm claims that it can either offer up to 52 percent increased performance by reducing the accuracy in scenes with intricate objects, or 27 percent more performance with maintained accuracy.

The Immortalis-G925 supports 50 percent more shader cores and it supports configurations of up to 24 cores, compared to 16 cores for the Immortalis-G720. The Mali-G725 will be available with between six and nine cores, whereas the Mali-G625 will sport between one and five cores. The Mali-G625 is intended for smartwatches and entry-level mobile devices where a more complex GPU might not be suitable due to power draw. The Mali-G725 on the other hand is targeting upper mid-range devices and the Immortalis-G925 is aimed towards flagship devices or gaming phones as mentioned above. In related news, Arm said it's working with Epic Games to get its Unreal Engine 5 desktop renderer up and running on Android, which could lead to more complex games on mobile devices.

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[NextPowerUP]

More than 500 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and each week new games integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Last week, the stunningly-rendered, critically-acclaimed Senua's Saga: Hellblade II launched with day-one support for DLSS 3 and Reflex, followed by the release of Serum with DLSS 3, DLAA and Reflex, and Ships At Sea and Wuthering Waves with DLSS 2. This week, DLSS momentum continues with the launch of DLSS 3 in EA SPORTS F1 24, and DLSS 2 in Capes.

EA SPORTS F1 24 Arrives On The Grid May 31st, Featuring DLSS 3, DLAA, Reflex & Ray Tracing
Race as one of the 20 real-life drivers in EA SPORTS F1 24, the official video game of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship. Unleash your champion in pursuit of a legacy-defining F1 Career, the mode's first major update since 2016. Drive like the greatest and feel at one with the car through the all-new EA SPORTS Dynamic Handling System, and experience the best F1 racing to date thanks to all of the game's new additions and enhancements.
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[NextPowerUP]

Micron Technology, a leader in innovative data center solutions, today announced it has achieved its qualification sample milestone for the Micron CZ120 memory expansion modules using Compute Express Link (CXL). Micron is the first in the industry to achieve this milestone, which accelerates the adoption of CXL solutions within the data center to tackle the growing memory challenges stemming from existing data-intensive workloads and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) workloads.

Using a new and emerging CXL standard, the CZ120 required substantial hardware testing for reliability, quality and performance across CPU providers and OEMs, along with comprehensive software testing for compatibility and compliance with OS and hypervisor vendors. This achievement reflects the collaboration and commitment across the data center ecosystem to validate the advantages of CXL memory. By testing the combined products for interoperability and compatibility across hardware and software, the Micron CZ120 memory expansion modules satisfy the rigorous standards for reliability, quality and performance required by customers' data centers.
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[NextPowerUP]

According to Jon Peddie Research latest report, the global GPU and CPU markets ended Q1 2024 on growth. GPU shipments reached 70 million units, while PC CPU shipments increased by 33% year-over-year, the second consecutive yearly increase in over two decades. Over the next five years, discrete GPUs are projected to achieve 22% penetration in the PC market as the overall GPU installed approaches 3 billion units by 2026. Among major GPU vendors, AMD's market share dipped 0.7% from last quarter, while Intel gained 0.3% and Nvidia rose 0.4%. However, overall GPU shipments declined 9.9% quarter-over-quarter. The total GPU attach rate for PCs was 113%, slightly down from the prior quarter. Desktop graphics add-in board shipments also decreased 14.8%.

While Q1 is typically flat or down versus Q4, Jon Peddie Research's president suggests this quarter's performance could signal a return to normal seasonality. With Microsoft, AMD and Intel promoting AI PCs, and forecasts pointing to growth in Q2, there are optimistic signs - although semiconductor suppliers are guiding 7.9% down on average for next quarter.

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[NextPowerUP]

SABRENT Docking Station Compatible with Steam Deck, 7-in-1 Steam Deck Dock with M.2 SSD Slot, HDMI 2.0 4K@ 60 Hz, Gigabit Ethernet, Dual USB-A 3.2 and Single USB 2.0 Ports with 90 W USB-C Charging Port for ROG Ally/Valve Steam Deck (DS-SDNV). The Sabrent USB Type-C 6-Port Docking Station with M.2 Port (DS-SDNV) is designed to expand and enhance your Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other compliant USB-C devices. This useful and stylish docking station lets you connect to your network at up to 1000 Mbps, add faster storage with an internal M.2 SSD slot with 5 Gbps transfer speeds, connect accessories with multiple USB ports, and output to a larger display at up to 4K@ 60 Hz in extend or mirror mode. The dock is portable, rugged, and easy to use, too. This might just be the only dock you'll ever need.

The DS-SDNV is designed to work with Windows, Linux, and macOS, but will work with other USB-C devices with DisplayPort Alternate (DP Alt) Mode support for output through HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 1.4). An RJ45 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) port allows you to bypass the inconsistencies of Wi-Fi and overcome speed restrictions for the fastest updates and installs. Connect keyboards, mice, printers, USB headsets, controllers, and more with a single USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) port, then more powerful devices like external storage with dual USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 Gbps) ports. Your experience is limited only by your imagination.
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[NextPowerUP]

HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, today announced the next generation of its viral Y70 Touch case, Y70 Touch Infinite, alongside the Y70 Touch Infinite Display Upgrade, as promised to its users. After the unfortunate discontinuation of Y70 Touch in February 2024, HYTE was diligent in its development and pursuit of an infinite touchscreen solution for one of its leading cases.

Y70 Touch Infinite
Introducing Y70 Touch Infinite with a larger 14.5" integrated touchscreen, 688 x 2560 resolution, and 183 PPI for improved compatibility and resource usage. Y70 Touch Infinite boasts a 33% closer dot pitch for a sharper-looking image alongside a 17% brighter LCD panel and a 25% higher contrast ratio. The 60Hz refresh rate with 50% faster pixel response time enables a smoother and more fluid visual experience than its predecessor.
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[NextPowerUP]

Arm has announced a pair of new Armv9 CPU cores today, alongside a refresh of a third. The new additions are the Cortex-X925—which is a huge model number jump from the previous Cortex-X4—and the Cortex-A725 which should be an upgraded Cortex-A720. Finally the Cortex-A520 has been refreshed to bring a 15 percent power efficiency improvement as well as support for 3 nm production nodes. Arm claims that the Cortex-A925 delivers its highest performance improvement ever over a previous generation with a single core uplift of up to 36 percent and an AI performance improvement of up to 46 percent compared to the Cortex-X4. The Cortex-X925 will support up to 3 MB private L2 cache and is tape-out ready for 3 nm production nodes.

The Cortex-A725 is said to offer a 35 percent performance efficiency improvement over the Cortex-A720 and it's been given performance boosts both when it comes to AI and gaming workloads. It's said to be up to 25 percent more power efficient than the Cortex-A720 and L3 cache traffic has been improved by up to 20 percent. Again, the Cortex-A720 is ready for production on a 3 nm node. Finally, Arm has also updated its DynamIQ Shared Unit to the DS-120 and here Arm has managed to reduce the typical workload power by up to 50 percent and the cache miss power by up to 60 percent. The DSU-120 scales to up to 14 Arm cores, suggesting that we might get to see some interesting new SoC implementations in the coming years from Arm's partners, although Arm's reference platform is a 2-4-2 configuration of the new cores.
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[NextPowerUP]

GameSir, a World-renowned brand in gaming peripherals, is proud to announce the launch of its Kaleid and Kaleid Flux controllers. These amazing new wired game controllers are designed to enhance the gaming experience with their advanced features, vibrant illuminated LED strips, and high-quality, comfortable design. Engineered with precision, and packed with features, these latest additions to GameSir's outstanding range of controllers are the ultimate choices for FPS and action gamers that are looking to take their gaming performance to the next level. GameSir is focused on providing gamers with a superior gaming experience through its high-quality yet cost-effective controllers.

The Xbox-licensed controllers feature GameSir's signature Hall Effect sticks, which effectively deliver an anti-drift glide and a reliable, precision-tuned performance on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One X|S and Windows 10/11 and Steam platforms. The Hall Effect Analog triggers are designed to deliver a consistent output, ensuring that actions like accelerating or braking during racing games give reliable and predictable results. Textures on the grips, triggers and bumpers keep fingers firmly in control during rapid actions, while also ensuring comfort and a strong grip during extended gaming sessions.
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[NextPowerUP]

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation ("Silicon Motion"), a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today launched the SM2322, the industry's fastest single-chip high-performance, low-power, and cost-effective solution for external portable SSDs, supporting up to 8 TB of storage and achieves unparalleled data transfer rates of 20 Gbps for storing and accessing large amounts of content seamlessly from AI smartphones, high-performance multimedia devices, and game consoles.

With the increase of AI-capable devices, high density and high-performance storage solutions are becoming more critical to consumers. Portable SSDs powered by the new SM2322 controller are the only solution that offers low-cost, high-density and high-performance, making it the ideal solution for these applications. Equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface with 20 Gb/s bandwidth and fully integrated hardware and software solution delivering peak sequential read and write transfer speeds of 2,100 MB/s and 2,000 MB/s, respectively, with up to 8 TB capacity, SM2322 powered high-performance portable SSDs enable an ultra-compact and lightweight form factor. The SM2322 supports the ProRes format and MFi specification for iPhone users while also being compatible with Windows, Android OS, and macOS, making it an ideal high-density, high-performance portable storage solution for AI smartphones, HD content creators, and gaming enthusiasts who require high-density, high-performance portable storage.
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[NextPowerUP]

HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, today announced the THICC Q80 Trio, a 360mm version of its inaugural all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler, THICC P60 Duo, and a new series of its THICC FP12 fans.

THICC Q80 Trio
HYTE introduces THICC Q80 Trio - the highest performing cooler ever made. A 360mm long, 52mm THICC Ginormous Heat Exchanger absorbs more watts than any other liquid cooler, while the Dual Harmonic Pumps effortlessly chill the hottest CPUs. Our bigger 2nd generation copper cold plate with a 50% higher skived fin coverage and upgraded liquid flow path drops temps by up to 2°C more. Included THICC FP12 Trio has a refreshed omnidirectional aesthetic, integrating fans into a single frame while silently obliterating heat with the highest performance-to-noise ratio on the market.
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[NextPowerUP]

Welcome to the first week of summer, at least in the northern hemisphere. There are no AAA releases this week, which gives you all plenty of time to focus on our Computex content instead of playing a new blockbuster game. This week's major release involves aliens, but not as you know them and they're out to kill. The rest of this week's new releases involves a DLC for a major MMORPG, a politics, religion and war game, some really old stuff, a nuclear plant meltdown cleanup and a dead dragon.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game / This week's major release / Tuesday 4 June
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror based on the iconic '80s film. In the battle between Killer Klowns and citizens of Crescent Cove, team up and use your wits to harvest humans or save them from the alien invasion! Crescent Cove is a sprawling arena for unique 3v7 fights between Klowns and humans—boasting various locations and a multitude of tactical opportunities for both teams. Steam link
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[NextPowerUP]

We're in Taipei to catch NVIDIA's Computex 2024 keynote address. AI would be decades behind where it is without NVIDIA's singleminded focus on accelerating it, and supporting the most fundamental research in AI, to bring it where it is now—in a position to drive a whole new industrial revolution of the kind the Internet did some 30 years ago. While NVIDIA's AI acceleration focuses on hard iron AI GPUs for the data-centers, the company hasn't lost sight of the hundreds of millions of gamers with a GeForce RTX GPU that's capable of accelerating AI faster than any NPU could by far. The company has set sights on the AI PC. It's already been running AI-based applications for gamers for over 5 years now, with DLSS, but has been consistently releasing AI-based apps, such as the most recent ChatRTX. The company is looking to make gamers' lives even more enjoyable with the magic of AI. Join us in this live blog as we unwrap NVIDIA's latest toys for gamers.

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