TechPowerUP NEWS

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Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR), a leading gaming headset and accessories brand, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Second Quarter Highlights

• Net revenue was $76.5 million, an increase of 59% compared to the prior year period.
• Net loss was $(7.5) million or ($0.35) per share compared to a net loss of ($15.9) million or ($0.93) net loss per share in the prior year period.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $3.0 million, an improvement of $8.7 million compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of ($5.7) million in the prior year period.

"We're proud to report another quarter of strong performance for Turtle Beach, as we saw continued momentum in our business, significant gross margin expansion, further execution of our cost-reduction initiatives, and the integration of PDP that is ahead of schedule," said Cris Keirn, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation.
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According to a recent report from Reuters, tech giant Intel is facing a significant legal challenge as shareholders file a lawsuit following a dramatic plunge in the company's stock price. The legal action comes from Intel's recent announcement of dividend suspensions and plans to lay off over 15,000 employees. The semiconductor behemoth saw its market value plummet by a staggering $32 billion in a single day, leaving investors reeling. The Construction Laborers Pension Trust of Greater St. Louis has initiated a proposed class action suit, naming Intel, CEO Pat Gelsinger, and CFO David Zinsner as defendants. The plaintiffs allege that the company made misleading statements about its business operations and manufacturing capabilities, artificially inflating its stock price between January 25 and August 1.

Intel's financial woes stem from underperforming contract foundry operations and 1% drop in revenue during the second quarter of 2024. While it may seem miniscule, declining revenue is paired with a negative 15.3% operating margin, resulting in a net loss of $1.61 billion. The company's August 1 announcement caught many shareholders off guard, prompting accusations of inadequate disclosure and transparency. This lawsuit is just one of several legal battles Intel is currently strangled in. The company is also locked in a patent dispute with R2 Semiconductor across multiple European countries, centering on voltage regulation technology. While Intel has secured a victory in the UK, it faces ongoing litigation in Germany, France, and Italy. Adding to Intel's troubles, a separate class action lawsuit is being explored on behalf of customers who purchased potentially faulty 13th and 14th-generation processors. The company also canceled its September 2024 Innovation event, citing poor financials, without any words on Arrow Lake or Lunar Lake. While the cancelation of events is sad, it is necessary to get financials back on track, and product launches should continue as usual.

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Intel announced that it has postponed the 2024 edition of its Innovation event to 2025. Among other things, the first-party event showcases innovations from the company's various business units made in the preceding year, includes a few key product launches, and teasers for what's next. The Innovation 2024 was poised to be particularly important for the company, as it was expected to launch its next generation Core Ultra "Arrow Lake" processors not just for mobiles, but even the desktop platform. Other key product showcase items include Xeon 6 server processors, and Gaudi 3 AI accelerator, besides updates from the company's foundry business, particularly the Intel 20A and Intel 18A nodes.

Intel's postponement of Innovation 2024 can be seen as a move to demonstrate sincerity that the company working to meet its goal of cutting cost of revenue by $10 billion through FY 2024, something that will bear results by mid-2025. It would have probably felt inappropriate for the company to host a lavish product showcase event in light of this. That said, there's no word on how this affects launch of products such as Core Ultra "Arrow Lake," it's possible that the company may launch them in a low-key dedicated media presentation.

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ASRock has released the AGESA 1.2.0.0a patch A BIOS update for its AM5 motherboards, enhancing compatibility and performance for AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. The update is available for ASRock's AM5 motherboard lineup, including models with X670E, B650E, B650, and A620 chipsets. This new BIOS version allows users to fully leverage the capabilities of the Ryzen 9000 series processors, providing improved system performance and stability.

Users can easily download and install the update from the ASRock official website or use features like BIOS Flashback and Instant Flash. ASRock recommends updating to the latest BIOS version to ensure optimal system compatibility and performance for AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors.

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Cable Matters, a leader in developing cutting-edge connectivity solutions, introduces a USB4 20 Gbps Switch, meeting the diverse needs of today's dynamic remote workforce. This versatile, powerful device seamlessly blends performance, adaptability, and cost efficiency, offering users an unparalleled connectivity solution.

"The vision of this product grew from the needs of today's remote workforce," says Jeff Jiang, CEO of Cable Matters. "People are doing more than ever with multiple devices and require connectivity solutions that provide performance and flexibility at an affordable price." Unlike traditional switches, the USB4 20 Gbps Switch is engineered to handle two USB-C, USB4 or Thunderbolt enabled devices concurrently, effortlessly scaling to match the demands of gadget-intensive users. Users can instantly share a USB-C, USB4 or Thunderbolt monitor or docking station between two devices, and easily switch between them using either the unit's button or the included remote control.
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Fractal Refine is designed with a clear purpose in mind — to create a comfortable, versatile place to sit and become fully and enjoyably immersed in the gaming experience. To achieve this, we took inspiration from modern gaming spaces, Scandinavian furniture design and research-led ergonomic science, to fuse the ergonomics of high-end office chairs together with intuitive controls and an aesthetic designed to elevate the gaming station.

It offers a range of easy-to-use adjustment features, including headrest height, seat height and depth, lumbar support depth and height, armrests in four directions and tilt tension. The tilt is also lockable in thirteen positions and offers fluid, ergonomic recline thanks to the synchro-tilt mechanism which moves in tandem with the user's body as they lean back.
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SK hynix has returned to Santa Clara, California to present its full array of groundbreaking AI memory technologies at FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2024 from August 6-8. Previously known as Flash Memory Summit, the conference changed its name to reflect its broader focus on all types of memory and storage products amid growing interest in AI. Bringing together industry leaders, customers, and IT professionals, FMS 2024 covers the latest trends and innovations shaping the memory industry.

Participating in the event under the slogan "Memory, The Power of AI," SK hynix is showcasing its outstanding memory capabilities through a keynote presentation, multiple technology sessions, and product exhibits.
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Samsung Electronics America, the leader in advanced memory technology, announced new 512 GB capacities for its BAR Plus and FIT Plus USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drives. The newest drives introduce more storage capacity to the lineup in the same sleek designs, perfect for storing your favorite tunes, irreplaceable photos/videos, and important work or school documents. These USB flash drives help you back up your data and save time thanks to their high capacity, quick speeds, wide device compatibility, and reliability.

"We recognize that professionals across the U.S. have more data storage needs than ever. That's why we're introducing a new size option within our cutting-edge BAR Plus and FIT Plus USB Flash Drive line-up, ensuring there is a storage solution for everyone," said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung. "The drives are also intentionally designed to fit your personal style - whether you prefer something sleek and modern or unassuming and traditional, you can always be plugged in."
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MSI is excited to announce the launch of the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors, set to debut on the AM5 platform. Powered by advanced 4 nm CPU process technology, the Ryzen 9000 Series promises to revolutionize the computing landscape with unmatched performance, efficiency, and versatility for gamers and content creators. At launch, August 8th, AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, and Ryzen 5 9600X are available while the Ryzen 9 9950X and 9900X will launch on August 15th. These processors will feature up to 16 cores and 32 threads, with a theoretical maximum boost clock speed of 5.7 GHz, 64 MB of L3 cache, and a maximum TDP of 170 W.

AMD Ryzen 9000 Series will also support PCIe 5.0 for the GPU and M.2 while enhancing DDR5 memory speed. Notably, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X offers approximately 12% better overall performance than the first-gen AMD 3D V-cache CPU. All these processors are compatible with the AM5 socket, and existing AMD 600 Series motherboards and Ryzen 9000 Series processors can seamlessly integrate by updating to the latest BIOS, available on MSI's product support page.
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A case made of carbon? The Apex Pro Skeleton Carbon is the first case from Alphacool on the market that is second to none. This design case offers great flexibility, which is ideal for comprehensive water cooling of PC components. Made from real carbon tubes and held in place by CNC-milled aluminium corners, the case can be fully dismantled and individually adapted to your own wishes. Completely in the stylish and modern Apex design, it also includes a distro plate specially adapted to this case, including a pre-assembled VPP Apex pump. With the usual chrome-plated brass connections and brilliant digital aRGB lighting, it fits perfectly into the ensemble. The smoked glass side panels complete the iconic look.

The Alphacool Apex Pro Skeleton Carbon case impresses with its outstanding design and offers unparalleled customization options thanks to its fully screw-fastened construction. Equipped with three radiator mounts, this case provides ideal conditions for high-performance cooling systems. An included GPU bracket with cable enables vertical mounting of the graphics card. The mainboard tray including cable box can also be positioned flexibly, giving the user a wide range of creative configuration options for the Skeleton case.
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Regarding the instability of the Intel Core 14th /13th Gen desktop processors, MSI will release the latest BIOS of Intel 700 and 600 series motherboards and 14th /13th Generation Desktop PC with 0x129 microcode to mitigate the instability.

The 1st batch of BIOS releasing models are MEG Z790 GODLIKE MAX, MEG Z790 ACE MAX, MPG Z790 CARBON MAX WIFI II, MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI, MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI and Z790MPOWER. All BIOS of Intel 700 and 600 series motherboards and 14th /13th Generation Desktop PC will be released soon in coming weeks by the end of August. MSI will continue to update our users on the latest news. Please follow MSI's official channels and check the product pages for the latest BIOS updates.

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ASUS today became the first motherboard vendor to release UEFI firmware updates that encapsulate the latest 126 microcode update by Intel. This microcode update is Intel's response to the stability issues plaguing 14th Gen and 13th Gen Core desktop processors based on the "Raptor Lake" or "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, which was caused by an improper implementation of the on-die power management, which caused high voltages to run through the silicon, causing their physical degradation over time. If you are already experiencing stability issues, you should be able to claim an RMA or service under warranty, since your processor has already degraded. If, however, your processor is new, and is stable with all kinds of workloads, including games and compute-heavy productivity, then this UEFI firmware update is crucial in preventing its degradation, as it corrects the issue. Safedisk, a professional overclocker associated with ASUS, posted a list of ASUS ROG and ProArt motherboard models based on the Intel Z790 chipset, with links to their firmware update files. It stands to reason that the company is releasing these updates across its other product lines, such as TUF Gaming and Prime.

You can find the list here.

If you don't find your motherboard model in that list, keep checking the Support section of your motherboard's product page on the ASUS website, you'll either find it there, or one of these days the company will put it up. This aligns with Intel's timeline of a mid-August release for the microcode update.

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In a strategic move to empower automakers with groundbreaking opportunities, Intel unveiled its first discrete graphics processing unit (dGPU), the Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive, at its AI Cockpit Innovation Experience event. To advance automotive AI, the product will be commercially deployed in vehicles as soon as 2025, accelerating automobile technology and unlocking a new era of AI-driven cockpit experiences and enhanced personalization for manufacturers and drivers alike.

Intel's entry into automotive discrete GPUs addresses growing demand for compute power in increasingly sophisticated vehicle cockpits. By adding the Intel Arc graphics for Automotive to its existing portfolio of AI-enhanced software-defined vehicle (SDV) system-on-chips (SoCs), Intel offers automakers an open, flexible and scalable platform solution that brings next-level, high-fidelity experiences to the vehicle.
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If you're on the Socket AM4 platform, AMD is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you; never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you. The company is reportedly giving finishing touches to a firecracker of a sub-$200 chip for price-conscious gamers, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D. That's right, AMD is bringing 3D V-cache technology to the mid-range, with a new 6-core processor based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture, but enjoying the gaming performance boost from 96 MB of L3 cache on tap.

AMD already has a 6-core X3D Socket AM4 chip, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which joined the product stack a couple of years after AMD's original Ryzen 7 5800X3D took the gaming PC processor scene by storm, matching the then swanky new Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake" despite being based on an older-generation "Zen 3" architecture. Not much else is known about the 5500X3D, except that it could have a lower clock speed than the 5600X3D. Back in November 2023, when news of the 5700X3D first hit the scene, the 5500X3D was rumored to be a 6-core/12-thread chip with 3.00 GHz base frequency and 4.00 GHz maximum boost, compared to the 3.30 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost frequency of the 5600X3D. Given that AMD launched the 5600X3D at $230, AMD could target a sub-$200 price point to wow gamers on AM4, such as $199.
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German PC components online retailer Mindfactory is no Amazon, but is meticulously transparent with its sales data to the public, which allows us to gauge consumer interest in products, at least in the European context. AMD last week launched its Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X Socket AM5 desktop processors powered by the latest "Zen 5" microarchitecture, which were met with mixed reviews, with the tech press remarking on very little IPC gain over the previous "Zen 4" generation, which is salvaged somewhat with their better energy efficiency. It's been 5 days since market availability for these two chips, and they aren't exactly flying off the shelves over at Mindfactory.

Remember what we said about Mindfactory being transparent with its sales numbers? The retailer even puts out a counter of how many units of a product it sold, and how many page views a product's store page got. As of this writing (13/8, 15:00 UTC), Mindfactory sold just between 20-30 Ryzen 5 9600X processors, with just under 600 page views for the product. The Ryzen 7 9700X is very slightly better, but not by much—just 30-40 pieces sold, and under 1,200 page views. To give you some context, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which has been out since April 2023, sold close to 68,000 units on this store. HardwareTimes reports that the 9700X is #39 most popular processor on Amazon in August 2024, and #45 on Newegg. We guess what's happening here is a combination of consumers waiting to see how the 9900X and 9700X perform, what the 9000X3D series and Intel's next-generation bring to the table, and favoring previous-gen incumbents such as the 7800X3D, i9-14900K, etc., which have had price cuts over the past several months.

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