tomshardware
Author page description
January 16
- Intel Arc B570 review featuring the ASRock Challenger OC: A decent budget option with a few deep cuts➀ The Intel Arc B570 offers good value for a budget 1080p graphics card, but falls short of the Arc B580's standards due to reduced memory and bandwidth; ➁ Its performance at 1440p and above may be limited by VRAM; ➂ Driver concerns persist despite its overall good performance.
- New export regs may see Israel requiring a license to buy U.S. chips developed in the country➀ The U.S. proposes new export rules for advanced AI processors, which restricts sales to certain countries. ➁ Israel, a close U.S. ally, is included in the restricted list, which could significantly impact the country's computing power. ➂ The proposed regulation categorizes countries into three groups with different import limits.
- Asus ProArt PA27JCV 5K professional monitor review: Redefining pixel density and color accuracy➀ The Asus ProArt PA27JCV offers exceptional color accuracy and high pixel density; ➁ It is a cost-effective option in the pro monitor category; ➂ The monitor is well-suited for content creators with its 5K resolution and extensive color modes.
- China's Cambricon posts first profit as demand for this Nvidia rival's AI processors explodes➀ Cambricon Technologies achieves its first quarterly profit in late 2024; ➁ Revenue surged nearly 70% in 2024; ➂ Cambricon's stock skyrocketed over 470% in the past year.
- US bans sales of 14nm and 16nm chips with over 30 billion transistors to China➀ The U.S. government plans to impose stricter export controls on advanced processors made by TSMC, GlobalFoundries, Intel, and Samsung Foundry. These rules target processors with 30 billion transistors or more on 14nm or 16nm nodes. ➁ Exceptions include chips with fewer than 30 billion transistors and those designed by companies based in the U.S. or Taiwan. ➂ The new rules may impact the sale of mainstream GPUs to Chinese entities, particularly in the AI and gaming sectors.
- Nvidia Blackwell for creators and professionals — upgrades for editing video, images, audio, and more➀ Nvidia introduces the Blackwell architecture for creators and professionals, focusing on video, image, and audio editing, 3D rendering, and more; ➁ AI and machine learning advancements, including the new LLM Flux and 3D scene-guided image generation; ➂ Improved video codec support and performance, with triple NVENC blocks on the RTX 5090 and enhanced AV1 and HEVC quality.
January 15
- In a private letter to U.S. President Biden, semiconductor industry groups blast incoming export rules➀ Industry groups criticize the lack of consultation on new US export controls for AI processors; ➁ The new regulations may negatively impact US companies and shift market share to international competitors; ➂ The restrictions could hinder China's development of AI processors and bolster the efforts of other countries to produce sovereign processors.
- Razer settles 'deceptive' marketing FTC lawsuit for over $1 million — 6,764 Zephyr mask buyers to get full refunds➀ Razer settles FTC lawsuit for deceptive advertising of Zephyr mask; ➁ $100,000 fine and $1,071,254.33 to be refunded to consumers; ➂ FTC warns against scams posing as agency representatives.
January 14
- Qualcomm hires Intel's Xeon architect to lead development of server CPUs➀ Qualcomm hires Sailesh Kottapalli, a former Intel Xeon architect, to lead its data center CPU development; ➁ Kottapalli joins as a senior vice president, bringing 28 years of Intel experience; ➂ Qualcomm's new server CPUs will use cores from Nuvia, acquired in 2021.
- China's SpacemiT develops 64-core RISC-V datacenter CPU — 12nm chip allegedly performs like a 10-year old Xen or Opteron but with higher core count➀ SpacemiT introduces the VitalStone V100 with up to 64 RISC-V cores; ➁ The processor is based on OpenC910 project design and is made on a 12nm process technology; ➂ Each core achieves a SPEC CINT2006 integer score of 9, placing it on par with older processors like the Intel Xeon E5520 and AMD Opteron 6212 but with a higher core count.
- Nvidia ARM SoC for Windows machines reportedly debuting in Q4, featuring N1X, with N1 to follow in early 2026➀ Nvidia is reportedly set to launch two new ARM-based SoCs for Windows machines, N1X and N1; ➁ The N1X is expected to debut in Q4 2025, followed by the N1 in early 2026; ➂ Nvidia will partner with MediaTek, with MediaTek receiving $2 billion in revenue from the venture.
January 12
- You can buy this AOC 27-inch Mini-LED 2K gaming monitor for just $249 at Amazon➀ AOC 27-inch Mini-LED 2K gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $249; ➁ The monitor features a 27-inch VA panel with 2K resolution, 180 Hz refresh rate, and 1 ms response time; ➂ This is the lowest price for this gaming display since its release.
- Thunderbolt 5 dock with MXM graphics, M.2 SSD slot, lots of I/O debuts at CES – J5Create's device offers RTX 3060 and RX 7600M variants for about $1,400➀ J5Create showcases a new Thunderbolt 5 dock at CES with MXM graphics and M.2 SSD slot; ➁ Two GPU variants: RTX 3060 and RX 7600M; ➂ Offers performance and silent modes, and includes high-speed I/O ports.
- Tetris packed inside a PDF file to run in any PC browser — Pdftris runs from a 60KB PDF➀ The classic Tetris game has been packaged into a PDF and called Pdftris, which can be played in most desktop browsers. ➁ Thomas Rinsma, a security analyst, created the game using modern PDF engines like PDFium and PDF.js. ➂ The game is simple to run and requires no special tools; it's just a 60KB PDF file that can be opened in a text editor.
- Intel to spin off RealSense depth camera business by mid-2025 — but it will remain part of the Intel Capital portfolio➀ Intel plans to spin off its RealSense depth camera business by mid-2025; ➁ The new entity will remain part of Intel's Capital portfolio; ➂ The move is a strategic decision to enhance RealSense's growth potential.
- TSMC ends contract with Singapore-based company over alleged Huawei ties➀ TSMC ends contract with Singapore-based PowerAIR over suspected Huawei ties; ➁ Concerns over potential violations of U.S. export controls; ➂ PowerAIR's lack of transparency raises suspicions about its end-user and technology transfer.
- Patriot celebrates 40th Anniversary with Viper Xtreme 5 DDR5-9600 CKD memory launch — Also has an Anniversary Special RAM kit alongside the iLuxe Stick C for Apple devices➀ Patriot Memory celebrates its 40th anniversary with the launch of the Viper Xtreme 5 DDR5-9600 CKD memory and iLuxe Stick C for Apple devices; ➁ The anniversary edition features a blue heatsink with '40 Years' label and RGB lighting; ➂ The iLuxe Stick C offers up to 2TB storage for iPhone and iPad, serving as a convenient media backup solution.
January 11
- Nvidia Hopper-based 100kW cluster deploys with 144 H200 GPUs — Exacluster features 192 96-core CPUs, 36TB DDR5 RAM, and 270TB of NVMe storage➀ ExaAILabs has deployed its Exacluster, a cluster based on Nvidia's H200 GPUs for AI and HPC; ➁ The cluster aims to build a search engine superior to Google's; ➂ The Exacluster includes 144 H200 GPUs, 192 96-core CPUs, and 36TB of DDR5 RAM.
- TSMC's Arizona Fab 21 is already making 4nm chips — yield and quality reportedly on par with Taiwan fabs➀ TSMC's Arizona Fab 21 has started producing 4nm chips; ➁ The chips are produced on TSMC's 4nm-class—N4 and N4P—process technologies; ➂ The project is part of the U.S. goal to produce 20% of the world's most advanced logic chips by 2030.
January 10
- MSI MEG X870E Godlike Motherboard Review: Seven USB-C and M.2 sockets, $1100 price➀ The MSI X870E Godlike is a premium motherboard with an array of features like 15 USB ports, seven M.2 sockets, and Wi-Fi 7; ➁ It offers excellent performance across the board, though its $1,000-plus price tag may deter some buyers; ➂ The board is packed with features but has a few drawbacks, including its high price and lack of native PCIe x8 or x4 slots.
- Razer showcases Project Ava AI gaming co-pilot and Project Arialle gaming chair with heating and cooling functionality➀ Razer showcases Project Ava AI gaming co-pilot at CES; ➁ Project Ava leverages AI for eSports coaching and hardware tuning; ➂ Razer also reveals Project Arialle, a gaming chair with heating and cooling features
- AMD's Instinct MI325X smiles for the camera: 256 GB of HBM3E➀ AMD showcases its new Instinct MI325X accelerator at CES with 256 GB of HBM3E memory; ➁ The new accelerator features 19,456 stream processors and 6 TB/s of bandwidth; ➂ AMD's move to 256 GB of memory from the previously announced 288 GB is unexplained.
January 9
- Imagination quits RISC-V CPU business to focus on GPUs and AI➀ Imagination exits the RISC-V CPU business; ➁ Focus on GPU and AI IP; ➂ Maintains commitment to the RISC-V ecosystem; ➃ RISC-V CPU IP portfolio limited in scope; ➄ Shift in focus seen as ironic given Imagination's history with MIPS.
- Raspberry Pi 5 16GB Review: Plenty of memory➀ The Raspberry Pi 5 16GB offers a significant amount of RAM at $120, but its high price makes it a considered purchase for most. ➁ The device is compatible with all Raspberry Pi 5 add-ons and boasts powerful performance, but it requires a specific project to maximize its RAM. ➂ The review compares the 16GB model with others, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses in various tests, including web browsing, file compression, and gaming emulation.
- Phison unveils next-generation high-end PCIe 5.0 SSD platform: PS5028-E28➀ Phison introduces its next-generation PCIe 5.0 SSD controller, PS5028-E28; ➁ The controller supports up to 32TB SSDs with a 4200 MT/s interface; ➂ It promises up to 14.5 GB/s sequential read and write performance.
January 8
- China starts Big Fund III spending: $47 billion for ecosystem and fab tools➀ China's Big Fund III has begun spending its $47 billion allocation; ➁ The fund aims to support chip production equipment developers and makers; ➂ The investment is part of China's effort to become self-sufficient in semiconductor production.
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 versus RTX 4090 — How does the new halo GPU compare with its predecessor?➀ The RTX 5090 boasts a 33% increase in GPU cores and 78% improvement in VRAM bandwidth over the RTX 4090; ➁ Nvidia's DLSS 4 leverages AI for multi-frame generation and improved performance; ➂ The RTX 5090's AI performance is expected to be 2.54 times that of the RTX 4090, with a focus on generative AI applications.
January 7
- Alienware unleashes 27-inch AW2725Q QD-OLED 4K 240Hz gaming monitor for gamers who like high ppi➀ Dell's Alienware introduces the 27-inch AW2725Q QD-OLED 4K 240Hz gaming monitor; ➁ The monitor features a 166 ppi pixel density, making it the highest for a QD-OLED gaming monitor; ➂ The AW2725Q offers 4K resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync.
- New Alienware Area-51 laptops have a Gorilla Glass window, color-shiting paint job➀ Dell's Alienware Area-51 returns with new 16- and 18-inch laptops featuring a Gorilla Glass window and color-shifting paint job; ➁ The laptops are set to offer high-end specifications including RTX 5090 GPUs and Core Ultra 9 CPUs; ➂ Dell also introduces a new Area-51 desktop with advanced cooling capabilities and a user-friendly upgrade process.
- HyperX wants you to print your own mouse➀ HyperX introduces a new modular gaming mouse with 3D printing capabilities; ➁ The Pulsefire Saga features interchangeable parts and a 3D print file for customization; ➂ HyperX updates the Pulsefire Haste 2 series with new wireless options and the Pulsefire Fuse for budget-friendly gaming.