TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

LIAN LI Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, announces the LANCOOL 217 INF, an additional RGB Infinity version of the LANCOOL 217, featuring a striking tempered glass infinity mirror front panel with precision airflow cutouts for enhanced style and performance. It includes three pre-installed ARGB fans with infinity mirror center hubs, consisting of two 170 mm fans at the front and one 140 mm fan at the rear. Additionally, a built-in wireless receiver allows control via L-Connect 3. It supports both standard and rotated PSU orientations, and is compatible with back-connect ATX and microATX motherboards, as well as large SSI-EEB boards, making it a flexible and high-performance chassis for modern builds.

Infinity Mirror Front Panel with Precision Airflow Design
The LANCOOL 217 INF features a striking tempered glass front panel with a built-in infinity mirror. The panel features two precisely cut airflow openings for the pre-installed 170 mm fans, allowing for direct intake without compromising cooling efficiency. Both front fans are protected by removable steel mesh covers, which offer effective dust filtration and touch protection while allowing easy cleaning and maintenance.
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[NextPowerUP]

Texas Instruments (TI), a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, and sells analog and embedded processing chips, today announced the opening of its newest state-of-the-art assembly and test factory in Melaka, Malaysia, TIEM2. This new factory features advanced factory automation to bump, probe, assemble and test billions of analog and embedded chips annually that are vital for nearly every type of electronic system - from vehicles to smartphones to data centers.

TI's new six-level factory in Melaka - which is in production - spans more than 900,000 square feet and connects to TI's existing Melaka assembly and test factory. The combined facilities now encompass more than 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space to transform processed semiconductor wafers into finished chips.
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[NextPowerUP]

Featuring a brand-new 72 mm x 89 mm fully-enclosed planar magnetic driver, Kiwi Ears x Z Reviews: Serene delivers high-resolution audio with remarkable speed, accuracy, and life-like clarity. Beyond its exceptional sound, Serene combines retro-inspired aesthetics with a sleek and modern design, making it a perfect choice for audiophiles, DJs, gamers, musicians, and style-conscious listeners alike. This collaboration embodies Kiwi Ears' dedication to innovation and premium craftsmanship while integrating Z Reviews' decade-long expertise to create a truly immersive listening experience.

Professional Tonal Balance
Audio quality is the utmost priority. The Serene is carefully tuned for an optimal tonal balance, delivering the full frequency spectrum without any dips or peaks. Its extended bass shelf and flat midrange ensure a natural, studio-accurate sound, while the precisely shaped treble offers smooth, sweet vocals and clear highs without harshness. Powered by a planar magnetic driver, the Serene delivers exceptional resolution, sound stage, and imaging.
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[NextPowerUP]

With a front and side made of continuous glass, the ELITE SHARK CA500 is the ultimate PC case for hardware enthusiasts. And in addition to the 270-degree view of the interior, there is already an impressive cooling performance available thanks to the side-panel air intake, four pre-installed fans, and space for two radiators. Modern connections and compatibility with the latest BTF mainboards round off the ATX case.

Panoramic View of Your Hardware
The specially manufactured, seamless glass of the front and side will perfectly showcase your high-end hardware with an impressive 270-degree view.
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[NextPowerUP]

Toward the end of last month, we reported a notable disruption in the memory supply chain. Manufacturers retroactively increased RDIMM prices by 40-50% just in August, despite hyperscalers signing agreements at much lower prices. This change is now rapidly affecting consumers. According to the latest report from CTEE, DRAM prices have surged 171.8% year-over-year, making this "commodity" one of the most valuable assets for applications ranging from data centers to home builds. If you're building a PC and notice that your desired memory kit's price has skyrocketed, you're not alone. The DRAM shortage has driven these modules to sky-high price levels. This is attributed to the demand for AI consuming the entire memory and storage supply as data center expansion continues.

To make the point even more worrisome, South Korean memory giants like Samsung and SK Hynix are unable to fulfill all orders, with only 70% of them being completed. This is pushing Tier-1 U.S. and Chinese cloud order books to an effective 70% fill rate and eliminating the safety stock that most buyers believed they had secured. Module manufacturers such as Kingston and ADATA are now paying $13 for 16 GB DDR5 chips that cost $7 just six weeks ago, an increase significant enough to erase their entire gross margin. Even more concerning is the fact that smaller OEMs and channel distributors have been told to expect only 35-40% fulfillment through the first quarter of 2026. This not only delays their planned product rollouts but also jeopardizes their expected revenue streams if the situation persists. They face the choice of either gambling on the spot market for a massive markup or leaving their production lines idle.
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[NextPowerUP]

Arm (NASDAQ: ARM) published a letter to its shareholders containing results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 ended September 30, 2025. The infographic below offers the key highlights.

Here are what the results mean and how they were achieved:Surpassing $1 billion for the third consecutive quarter, as Arm reported second-quarter revenue of $1.14 billion, up 34% year-over-year. Revenue was above the high end of guidance, and non-GAAP EPS finished above the high end.
Royalty revenue rose 21% year-over-year to $620 million, driven by the continued adoption of Arm technology with higher royalty rates per chip, such as Armv9 and Arm Compute Subsystems (CSS), and increased usage of Arm-based chips in data centers.
Three new Arm CSS licenses signed in the quarter, one each in smartphones, tablet, and data centers, bringing the total to 19 licenses with 11 companies, with five customers already shipping CSS-based chips. Samsung will also leverage CSS for its Exynos family of chipsets, which means the top four Android phone vendors are now shipping CSS-powered devices.

• In Q2, Arm launched the Lumex CSS platform, our most advanced smartphone platform to date, delivering up to 5x faster AI performance on a new generation of Arm C1 CPUs with Arm Scalable Matrix Extension 2 (SME2) and up to 3x the energy savings, alongside up to 2x AI and graphics performance through the integration with the new Arm Mali G1-Ultra GPU compared to the prior generations. The ecosystem is already embracing Lumex, with leading applications, such as Alipay, Gmail, and YouTube, accelerating on-device inference and real-time personalization, and partners, such as MediaTek, designing Lumex configurations into its next-generation chips for new flagship smartphones from Oppo and vivo.

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[NextPowerUP]

Although we're almost two months away from CES, companies are already starting to tease products that they will have on display at the show. Samsung has unveiled a pair of new SSDs, of which one might find an appeal with owners of portable gaming devices. The other, is not going to be something most consumers will ever have any direct contact with, but the Detachable AutoSSD is an interesting product from Samsung that might spill over in other markets in the future. It's intended for the automotive market and uses the E1.A form factor, but what makes it truly unique is the fact that the SSD controller and the NAND are separated from each other, something Samsung claims improves heat dissipation, but also that it can extend the product life and make upgrades and/or replacements easier.

A more useful addition to its lineup of SSDs is the PM9E1 M.2 22x42, which is an OEM drive in the M.2 2242 form factor. This is as far as we're aware, the first announcement of an M.2 2242 PCIe 5.0 drive, but it's also one of what has to be less than a handful of drives in this form factor that has DRAM onboard. Samsung claims read speeds of up to 14.8 GB/s and write speeds of up to 13.4 GB/s, courtesy of its Presto SSD controller and its V8 TLC V-NAND. The PM9E1 will come in sizes up to 4 TB, which means it's a double sided drive with components on both sides of the PCB, which could make it a tad tricky when it comes to the cooling. However, for those with a handheld gaming device like the Steam Deck, could prove to be one of the best performance options out there, while at the same time offering plenty of storage space for your game library.

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[NextPowerUP]

Welcome to the second week of November, which is another week with a couple of big releases. This week's major release might involve something fishy, but also colourful pew-pews and zombies. As for the rest of this week's new releases, we kick off with some Mars colonisation, followed by a psychic toddler and a very different take on the survival game genre that's very much family friendly. Next up is a much awaited Roman Empire strategy game and we end the week with an open world action-adventure RPG set in ancient China.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 / This week's major release / Friday 14 November
The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare. David Mason leads an elite JSOC team on a covert mission to the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon. While there, they discover a sophisticated plot that won't just plunge the world into chaos, it will pull them into their own haunting pasts. Steam link
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[NextPowerUP]

Windows 10 support is ending, which means your system could be vulnerable. Now's the time to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, built for speed, protection, and productivity. And at just $9.97, it's easily the smartest move you'll make this year.

Windows 11 Pro is designed for how you actually use your computer—whether you're gaming, working, or multitasking your way through the day. Its refreshed interface is faster and cleaner, and its AI-powered Copilot assistant helps you summarize pages, tweak settings, and complete daily tasks faster.

Get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for $9.97 (reg. $199) and upgrade your PC.
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[NextPowerUP]

A new leaked PassMark benchmark has revealed what appears to be AMD's next 3D V-Cache processor, the Ryzen 7 9700X3D, a new CPU to refresh the company's mid-range gaming lineup. The listing shows it is an eight-core, 16-thread Zen 5 CPU with 96 MB of L3 cache and a boost clock of up to 5.8 GHz, however, that figure is likely from early testing or overclocked conditions. The 9700X3D scored 4,687 points in single-threaded and 40,438 points in multithreaded benchmarks. That's about 1-5% ahead of the existing Ryzen 7 9800X3D. With the Ryzen 7 9700X3D, AMD might follow the same path as the 5700X3D, offering slightly lower clocks and price while maintaining strong gaming performance.

It's also rumored, as we reported earlier, that AMD is developing a higher-end Ryzen 7 9850X3D (120 W, 8 cores, 16 threads, 96 MB L3 cache, 5.6 GHz/4.7 GHz), a Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 (200 W, 16 cores, 32 threads, 192 MB L3 cache, 5.6 GHz/4.3 GHz), and an entry-level Ryzen 5 7500X3D (65 W, 6 cores, 12 threads, 96 MB L3 cache). With CES 2026 just two months away, we can expect AMD to release some of these now-rumored CPUs there, if not all four of them.

Update Nov 8th: This PassMark benchmark has been identified as a faked result. Redditors used Linux commands to submit spoofed identification data, using a standard 9700X, apparently to see if it was possible. The higher clocks than the 9800X3D would be unusual for a lower binned X3D part. Many news sites reported on the story, and the shenanigans serve as a warning regarding trusting the veracity of unverified benchmarks.

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[NextPowerUP]

Intel is losing another senior figure from its data center and AI business, with Saurabh Kulkarni, Vice President of Data Center AI Product Management, set to depart for AMD. Kulkarni's last day at Intel is reportedly Friday, with Anil Nanduri, VP of AI Go-To-Market, stepping in to lead the AI product management organization. Kulkarni joined Intel a little over two years ago and most recently oversaw product management across AI systems, GPUs, and silicon design within the company's data center group. He previously defined Intel's AI systems strategy under Chief Technology and AI Officer Sachin Katti, including work on silicon photonics interconnects to improve GPU scalability for large-scale data center deployments. Before returning to Intel, Kulkarni held senior leadership roles at Graphcore and Lucata, and earlier in his career spent six years at Microsoft, leading engineering efforts for Azure's cloud and AI infrastructure. In February, Intel also lost Justin Hotard, who previously led its Data Center and AI (DCAI) division, after he announced his departure to become Nokia's new CEO.

Kulkarni's move comes as AMD ramps up its own data center AI push, driven by the Instinct GPU lineup and major design wins, including OpenAI. AMD projects its AI accelerator business could reach tens of billions in annual revenue by 2027, a target CEO Lisa Su reiterated earlier this week. Intel, meanwhile, continues to realign its AI and data center divisions under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, following weaker-than-expected Gaudi accelerator revenue and a broader restructuring effort affecting roughly 15% of its core workforce. Several longtime Intel engineers, including Ronak Singhal and Rob Bruckner, have also departed this year as the company recruits new external talent to rebuild its AI leadership.

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[NextPowerUP]

The XMG CORE 16 VE expands the CORE 16 product line with a more affordable entry-level model that comes in at €200 less than the standard version. Despite the lower price, the Value Edition retains the same high-quality aluminium chassis, but pairs it with more budget-conscious components. These include an AMD Ryzen 7 H 255 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, and an 80 Wh battery. The 16-inch IPS display continues to offer a sharp 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and a brightness of 500 nits, while the refresh rate is adjusted to 180 Hz. Like its higher-end sibling, the CORE 16 VE supports up to 128 GB of RAM and 16 TB of SSD storage, and offers a comprehensive range of external ports.

XMG CORE 16 VE (M25) with aluminium Chassis and 1600p Display Starting at €1,399
The foundation of the Value Edition of the XMG CORE 16 is identical to the regular model, which has been available since mid-August. This price-performance-optimized variant also features an aluminium chassis measuring 357 x 254 x 23 mm and weighing just 2.1 kg. Under the hood, it is equipped with AMD's Ryzen 7 H 255 processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 running at up to 115 watts including Dynamic Boost. The battery capacity comes in at a generous 80 Wh, slightly below the 99.8 Wh of the standard model.
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[NextPowerUP]

Amazon US sales data for October, courtesy of @TechEpiphanyYT, reveal a huge disparity between AMD and Intel CPU sales. The combined shipments of AMD's Ryzen 9800X3D and 7800X3D reached roughly 16,000 units, while Intel's entire CPU lineup on the platform did not surpass 10,000 units. This gives AMD about 83.80% of the market share in terms of units sold, meaning that for every ten CPUs sold, more than eight were AMD models. The two X3D models sold roughly 8,000 units each, indicating a strong demand for AMD's high-end gaming processors, even at premium prices. In the value segment, the six-core Ryzen 5 5500 sold nearly 5,000 units, securing the third spot and outperforming common Intel alternatives like the Core i3 models, which typically offer four cores.

Intel saw a limited success with the Core Ultra 7 265K, which sold nearly 1,000 units after its price dropped below $300. However, this single product couldn't offset the production challenges Intel faced with its 12th, 13th, and 14th generation lines, where increasing prices have reduced competitiveness in price-sensitive retail markets. Interestingly, the average selling price of AMD CPUs was $272.05, while Intel's was higher at $308.62. This indicates that AMD is focusing more on the low and mid-range segments, whereas Intel's customers are primarily targeting higher-end builds.
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[NextPowerUP]

HiBy has officially launched its new flagship portable Hi-fi player, RS8 II, on October 30, 2025. The RS8 II integrates HiBy's advanced technologies in portable audio with deep insights into market trends, redefining high-end portable music players. It features a high-performance processor, upgraded audio architecture, and multiple connectivity options, supporting high-resolution audio formats and versatile output, providing users with a complete digital audio experience and flexible connectivity.

The player is powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS8550 (8 Gen 2 platform) and the upgraded third-generation DARWIN audio architecture, paired with AdaptiveAMP, offering dynamic A/B-class amplification with 64-level adjustability and THD+N as low as 0.0008%. Its powerful CPU+GPU+NPU+FPGA+DSP array combined with a precisely matched R2R resistor network ensures accurate high-resolution audio reproduction. Sankofa AI tonality simulation allows users to enjoy sound signatures modeled after classic audio sources such as MD, CD, cassette, and reel-to-reel tape players, with free updates for a personalized Hi-fi experience.
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[NextPowerUP]

German Linux hardware maker Tuxedo Computers has announced the InfinityBook Max 15, a 15.3-inch aluminium ultrabook that bridges professional and gaming performance. Despite weighing just 1.95 kg, it packs AMD's Ryzen AI 300 processors up to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12C/24T) paired with GeForce RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 graphics. The display is a 15.3-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS panel with 300 Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB coverage, and 500 nits brightness. A 99 Wh battery offers up to 10 hours of light use, with USB-C 140 W charging and a 240 W GaN adapter for full-power workloads. It features dual DDR5-5600 slots (up to 128 GB) and two PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD bays (up to 8 TB).

Regarding connectivity, the InfinityBook Max 15 offers dual USB-C ports (USB4/3.2 Gen 2), three USB-A, HDMI 2.1, Mini DisplayPort 2.1, LAN, and a SD card reader. The cooling system can handle up to 150 W of combined CPU and GPU power using an 8 mm dual-fan setup with adjustable TGP levels (45-115 W for the RTX 5060 and 50-115 W for the RTX 5070). Out of the box, the InfinityBook Max 15 runs Tuxedo OS or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, complete with full Linux driver support, encryption options, and even Windows 11 as an alternative. The base model, equipped with a Ryzen AI 7 350, 16 GB of DDR5 memory and a 1 TB SSD, starts at €1,689 (VAT included). Pre-orders are already open, and shipping is set to begin in early December.

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