Intel Corporation today announced that its board of directors has elected Dr. Craig H. Barratt as independent chair, effective following the company's Annual Stockholders' Meeting on May 13, 2026. Barratt will succeed Frank D. Yeary, who is retiring from the board and will not stand for reelection at the Annual Meeting. Yeary has served as a director since 2009 and as chair since 2023.

"On behalf of the board and the entire company, I want to thank Frank for his commitment to Intel and his strong leadership as chair during one of the most consequential periods in Intel's history," said Lip-Bu Tan, CEO, Intel. "Frank led the effort to bring me in as the company's CEO, encouraged disciplined board oversight, and reinforced strong board governance. With his and the board's support, I have been empowered to take decisive actions to strengthen our financial foundation, advance our process roadmap and position the company for long-term competitiveness. His leadership helped guide Intel through a period of transformation and onto firmer footing for the next phase."

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090D v2 Lightning has officially appeared on the Chinese market, according to a Bilibili user named "Hardware Patrick Star." This China-exclusive SKU is an adaptation of the new GeForce RTX 5090D v2 with MSI's overclocking enhancements, allowing the card to reach new performance heights, paired with an all-in-one liquid cooler. The new RTX 5090D v2 retains the GB202 family's compute power, with 21,760 CUDA cores, Blackwell architecture, and a 575 W TGP, but reduces the memory to 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, compared to the previous 32 GB on a 512-bit bus. MSI noted that the GeForce RTX 5090D Lightning GPU is limited to 1,300 units. However, since the China-exclusive SKU is considered a completely different graphics card, it is possible that there are another 1,300 units for the Chinese market with the RTX 5090D v2 Lightning model. The Bilibili user has SKU number 909, indicating that the rest have been distributed to retail channels.

We reviewed MSI's regular GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning graphics card and found that the GPU can reach up to 1,000 W with an OC BIOS loaded. We observed an average GPU clock speed of 3,218 MHz due to the water cooling. Independent testing might show the RTX 5090D v2 Lightning achieving similar performance levels, but since it's a China-focused SKU, we could only see reviews from Chinese hardware reviewers. Earlier claims by EXPreview indicate that hands-on testing suggests mixed results for buyers. In pure gaming, the RTX 5090D and RTX 5090D v2 cards are often nearly identical, with frame rate differences usually within a percent or two, so most current 4K titles will not noticeably suffer from the missing 8 GB. For AI workloads and model inference, the gap is more significant, with single-digit to low-double-digit performance drops where extra memory is important.

Apple today launched its most advanced silicon design yet with the introduction of the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors for MacBook Pro laptops. These new SoCs feature an 18-core CPU with six new "super cores" and 12 performance cores. The main difference between the M5 Pro and M5 Max lies in the size of the integrated GPU and the maximum memory capacity that Apple can equip these SoCs with. With these two SoCs, Apple has added another core tier to its lineup. In the M5 Pro/Max SoCs, a new tier called "M-core" has been introduced, which sits between the Super Core and Efficiency Core. What used to be performance and efficiency cores in the regular M5 have been renamed. Essentially, Apple renamed the performance core to super core and introduced an M-core tier that sits between the super core and efficiency core. Interestingly, the efficiency core is completely absent from the new SoCs, resulting in a combination of performance and middle-class cores, which will enhance the performance of these processors. In this context, the regular M5 SoC has four super cores and six efficiency cores.

Inside these new SoCs, the six super cores run at 4.61 GHz, while the M-cores run at 4.38 GHz. The M-core is a 7-wide out-of-order execution CPU that has roughly 70% of the P-core performance with slightly lower power usage. This new core tier is expected to boost the multithreaded performance of the M5 Pro/Max processors by up to 20%, according to some preliminary estimates found on Chinese Baidu forums. For the M5 Pro, Apple has included 16 MB of cache for the super cores, 16 MB of cache for the M-cores, and 24 MB of memory cache. The memory choice is LPDDR5X, which runs at 9,600 MT/s and offers up to 64 GB of capacity. In the M5 Max, the core cache remains the same, but the memory cache is increased to 48 MB, and the memory capacity is upgraded to a configuration of up to 128 GB. Both SoCs feature GPU cores that run at 1.62 GHz, with the M5 Pro having a 20-core iGPU and the M5 Max having a 40-core iGPU.

NVIDIA has reportedly lowered its performance requirements for the HBM4 memory used in "Rubin" GPUs, as SK hynix and Samsung are reportedly struggling to meet the ambitious performance targets set by NVIDIA. According to a new note from SemiAnalysis, NVIDIA is reducing its specification requirements for the upcoming GPU generation. Originally, NVIDIA targeted a total bandwidth of 22 TB/s for the Rubin chip, but memory suppliers seem to be having difficulty meeting these requirements. Initial shipments are expected to achieve closer to 20 TB/s, which translates to approximately 10 Gbps per pin for HBM4. This indicates that NVIDIA's aggressive upgrade plan for "Vera Rubin" is facing a setback, and the final performance will differ slightly.

Interestingly, NVIDIA's initial target for the "Vera Rubin" VR200 NVL72 system was 13 TB/s in March 2025, which was later upgraded to 20.5 TB/s by September. At CES 2026, NVIDIA confirmed that the VR200 NVL72 system is now operating at 22 TB/s of bandwidth. Compared to AMD's Instinct MI455X accelerator, which has 19.6 TB/s, NVIDIA initially had lower system bandwidth. They addressed this by using faster DRAM and improving interconnects between CPUs, GPUs, and the entire system. However, as memory makers like SK hynix and Samsung struggle to meet NVIDIA's performance requirements, we will see HBM4 speeds of about 20 TB/s for the entire "Vera Rubin" system.

NVIDIA released its GeForce 595.71 WHQL Game Ready Drivers yesterday to address issues with the previous 595.59 WHQL version. However, troubles don't seem to be over yet, as reports are coming from multiple users running the latest driver that the new installation is restricting GPU voltages across the RTX 50 series of "Blackwell" graphics cards. As multiple reports point out, the v595.71 driver is causing users to see a significant performance drop across multiple titles, all stemming from the capped GPU core voltage that is reducing the frequency. Wccftech testing has confirmed that the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 SUPRIM X used to run at a 1.020-1.030 V range, resulting in about 3,015-3,030 MHz in FurMark stress-testing using the older v591.86 driver with a manual overclock applied.

However, without a change in settings, the GPU now runs at a lowered voltage range between 1.005 V and 1.010 V, with occasional drops to 1.0 V. This has resulted in boost frequencies that are below 3,000 MHz, degrading the GPU performance while also lowering power usage. The reasoning behind this might be that NVIDIA is experimenting with lower voltage caps to limit what the GPU is capable of boosting to, so it can draw less power and prevent the fragile nature of the 12V-2x6 connector from overheating. Yesterday's launch of the GeForce 595.71 WHQL Game Ready Driver mentioned that the previous driver issues were resolved, which included fans not spinning or not being detected at all. However, with the new driver release, we didn't receive any information about intentional or unintentional voltage regulation happening within the driver. Hence, we are left to wait for the official company response.

Rising memory and storage costs are pricing entry-level PC buyers out of the market, which may disappear entirely. According to the analyst firm Gartner, the sub-$500 PC sector might vanish by 2028. Their analysis indicates that memory, which used to be just a small part of the total bill of materials (BOM) at 16% of the total PC cost in 2025, is expected to rise to nearly a quarter of the PC's cost at 23%, making the entry-level PC segment unsustainable. "This sharp increase removes vendors' ability to absorb costs, making low-margin entry-level laptops nonviable. Ultimately, we expect the sub-$500 entry-level PC segment will disappear by 2028," said Ranjit Atwal, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner. He added, "In addition, rising AI PC prices will delay the projected 50% market penetration of AI PCs until 2028."

We have witnessed multiple price increases across many PC components such as DRAM, NAND Flash, and GPUs. With manufacturers unable to produce PCs at any tangible profit levels in the sub-$500 PC sector, it might entirely disappear from the mainstream PC market. The concept of budget builds might become obsolete, with the majority of PCs ending up in categories above that threshold, near or beyond four figures. Gartner estimates that there will be about a 130% increase in combined DRAM and NAND Flash pricing by the end of this year, increasing PC prices by about 17% compared to 2025 levels. This situation will push consumer and enterprise demand toward premium PCs.

As NAND Flash pricing has skyrocketed, reaching nearly a 500% increase over the past six months, Phison has reportedly started requiring some customers to make prepayments to control the supply. This means that customers who haven't even started a Phison order will need to send funds as a form of credit to purchase a set amount of Phison controllers, SSDs, or any other storage products. According to a notice to its customers, Phison has stated that the rapid increase in NAND Flash demand has driven various parts of the storage supply chain to seek alternative payment methods, with a focus on quicker settlements. This means customers must either accept faster contract settlements or use other forms of payment like prepayment credits.

Phison is a company primarily focused on making SSD controllers, which are manufactured at TSMC, Samsung, or other fabs as logic devices, not NAND Flash. The company's latest E28 controller is produced on TSMC's 6 nm node, a mature class of semiconductor nodes. This suggests that Phison's supply chain is largely intact. However, if Phison is arranging NAND Flash purchases on behalf of customers, that could explain why faster settlements are requested. Specific arrangements likely vary by customer and should be confirmed on a case-by-case basis. There might be situations where Phison provides SSD makers with blueprints for SSDs and handles part of the design and supply chain logistics within the company, making the situation more understandable. In such cases, Phison would need to secure a fast contract settlement to ensure the SSD maker gets the best possible price for the NAND Flash that ultimately pairs with a Phison controller. The full statement follows.

Intel has confirmed the existence of its larger Arc Pro B70 "Battlemage" graphics card, designed for professional visualization and AI workloads, through its LLM Scaler software with a small performance testing done in non-ideal scenario. The company plans to release this GPU within the current quarter, which means we could see the official launch and availability in about a month. The upcoming Arc Pro B70 and Arc Pro B65 GPUs are part of this release, utilizing the long-rumored BMG-G31 GPU die intended for higher-end models.

Starting with the more advanced Arc Pro B70, Intel plans a BMG-G31 configuration featuring 32 Xe2 cores and 32 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. This setup translates to approximately 4,096 FP32 cores in its full configuration, doubling the core count and memory capacity of the current Arc Pro B60, within a single-GPU version. For the smaller Arc Pro B65, Intel has scaled down the BMG-G31 die to support 2,560 FP32 cores, with a total of 20 Xe2 cores. While this matches the core configuration of the Arc Pro B60, the B65 comes with 32 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is 8 GB more than the Arc Pro B60. As dual-GPU configurations were common with the Arc Pro B60, we might also see dual-GPU PCBs with the Arc Pro B70 if Intel's partners like Maxsun follow suit with their Arc Pro B60 Dual-GPU card.

NVIDIA has released its latest GeForce 595.71 WHQL Game Ready Driver, addressing issues from the previous 595.59 WHQL version, which caused many headaches for gamers who installed it. With the new 595.71 WHQL, NVIDIA is providing support and optimizations for games such as Resident Evil Requiem and Marathon. Alongside these games, the new 595.71 WHQL fixes problems found in 595.59 WHQL, including a bug where one or more GPU fans stopped spinning after the update. Thankfully, this has been fixed, and gamers were spared the headaches of potentially damaging their expensive GPUs. Additionally, hardware monitoring utilities can now once again recognize all GPU fans, allowing users to continue monitoring and fine-tuning fan profiles without issues. Interestingly, this comes as another game ready driver release, and not a hotfix version. NVIDIA also fixed some game artifacts that were appearing specifically with the GeForce RTX 50 series, such as green artifacts in Total War: THREE KINGDOMS and black bars appearing in The Ascent.DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 595.71 WHQL

Intel used its MWC conference in Barcelona to showcase its most core-dense Xeon 6+ processor, codenamed "Clearwater Forest." As one of Intel's most complex chiplet designs, the package combines 12 compute chiplets manufactured on an Intel 18A node with three active base tiles on Intel 3 and two I/O tiles on Intel 7. In this configuration, each compute tile contains six modules of four "Darkmont" efficiency cores, providing 24 E-cores per tile and a maximum of 288 "Darkmont" E-cores on a single socket. A two-socket system, therefore, approaches 576 cores. The design connects clusters with a high-bandwidth on-chip fabric and stacks die using Foveros Direct 3D, while EMIB links connect multiple tiles in a 2.5D arrangement.

Each "Darkmont" E-core comes with a 64 KB instruction cache, a wider front end, and a larger out-of-order window to sustain more in-flight work. Execution resources and the number of execution ports have been increased to improve parallel integer and vector throughput. Physically, clusters are grouped in four-core units sharing about 4 MB of L2 cache per group, and the package-level last-level cache can exceed a gigabyte, with about 1,152 MB of combined last-level cache across the package. "Clearwater Forest" supports the existing Xeon server platform socket, 12 memory channels, and broad I/O, including 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes and 64 CXL 2.0 lanes. Memory speed targets push toward DDR5-8000.

Microsoft recently updated its Agility SDK to version 1.619, bringing DirectX Shader Model 6.9 alongside some new DirectX 12 improvements. However, Microsoft's latest product demo about Shader Execution Reordering (SER) now confirms a massive performance uplift across several GPUs, with up to a 90% improvement on Intel Arc B-Series and more than 80% from independent sources' benchmarks on NVIDIA "Blackwell." With SER, the API gives applications the ability to dynamically sort rays for highly optimized parallel execution, improving performance by a large margin. In Microsoft's own testing, Intel's Arc B-Series GPUs, which include "Battlemage" discrete GPUs and Xe3-based integrated GPUs in "Panther Lake," managed to achieve a 90% framerate increase in the technology demonstration, suggesting that ray tracing performance still has some tricks up its sleeve for optimization.

Meanwhile, the company also tested the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 with SER, scoring a 40% improvement over the default ray sorting in the previous execution model. Independent testing from Osvaldo Pinali Doederlein on X showed that the GeForce RTX 5080 "Blackwell" GPU scored about an 80% improvement running this demo, which gives confidence that games implementing this technology will provide gamers with a massive performance boost once implemented. Microsoft has built this D3D12RaytracingHelloShaderExecutionReordering demo with a minimum demonstration of the SER technology, so anyone can test their own hardware and the performance improvement.

At Mobile World Congress 2026, AMD announced an expanded Ryzen AI portfolio with the launch of the AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series and Ryzen AI PRO 400 Series desktop processors. The new processors deliver powerful on-device AI acceleration and next-generation performance, enabling users to run AI applications and LLMs locally and tackle compute-intensive applications, including those for design and engineering, with ease. Additionally, AMD is expanding the Ryzen AI 400 Series mobile portfolio to include workstations.

With these additions, Ryzen AI 400 Series processors enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to offer next-gen AI PCs across high-performance desktops, laptops and mobile workstations optimized for modern workloads.

AMD has expanded the availability of its Ryzen 5 5500X3D to the Chinese market, giving new life to a processor that first appeared in Latin America last year. There was no formal launch event or major announcement. Instead, the chip appeared through retail channels quietly, with a listing price of 1,199 RMB (roughly $175). At its core, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a six-core, 12-thread "Zen 3" processor designed for the AM4 platform. It runs at a 3.0 GHz base frequency and can boost up to 4.0 GHz. What sets it apart from standard Ryzen 5 models of the same generation is its expanded cache configuration. With a combined 99 MB of L2 and L3 cache, it targets gaming workloads that benefit from reduced memory latency and improved data access patterns, as seen with the other X3D SKUs.

AMD lists the processor at a 105 W TDP, and buyers should note that it does not include a bundled cooler and lacks integrated graphics. At $175, this pricing positions the 5500X3D as one of the more accessible X3D options available. AMD revived its AM4 socket with an additional "Zen 3" chip, but this time in an X3D variant to keep up with modern designs in performance. With support for DDR4 memory, PCIe 4.0, and a wide range of AM4 motherboards, including X570 and B550, the 5500X3D offers existing users a relatively inexpensive drop-in upgrade. For those running Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 from the 5000 series, this chip could be a very good upgrade without having to switch to a completely new platform and the more expensive DDR5 memory.

In early February, Intel finally updated its HEDT sector with the latest "Granite Rapids-WS" Xeon 600 Series processors for workstations. The company has now published a detailed table of turbo frequencies that provides specifics on each core's boost frequency in workloads like SSE, AVX2, AVX-512, and AMX, showing how much these workloads allow the CPU cores to boost. This means that during a continuous workload like AMX, these CPUs can only run at a sustained frequency defined in the tables below. At the very top of the new "Granite Rapids-WS" stack is the Xeon 698X, featuring 86 cores and 172 threads, backed by 336 MB of L3 cache. The chip runs at a 2.0 GHz base clock, boosting up to 4.8 GHz with Turbo Boost Max 3.0, or 4.6 GHz under Turbo Boost 2.0. This CPU is fully unlocked, allowing overclocking, which is still relatively rare in the Xeon workstation space.

In non-AVX workloads, this CPU can boost up to 4.8 GHz, while its lowest-performing core, numbered 86, sits at 3.0 GHz. However, AVX2 turbo frequencies cause a significant frequency downgrade, as the base frequency drops to 1.7 GHz, and the slowest core drops to 2.9 GHz when boosting across its 86-core design. Following this are the AVX-512 turbo frequencies, which see this flagship SKU running at a base clock speed of only 1.3 GHz and only 2.5 GHz across its 86 cores. Perhaps the most demanding turbo frequency testing occurs when AMX is enabled, resulting in a base frequency of only 1.1 GHz and only 2.0 GHz across all cores at once. This significant reduction comes from the demanding scenarios of these vector and matrix instruction processing, which are very heavy on the CPU.More information about other SKUs and details in AVX2, AVX-512, and AMX turbo frequencies follow.

Intel's flagship "Bartlett Lake-S" processor—Core 9 273 PQE—has reached enthusiasts who are testing whether any consumer motherboard can boot the CPU and utilize its 12 P-Core gaming performance. According to Overclock.net user "Talon2016," who managed to obtain a sample of the LGA-1700 flagship CPU SKU, the processor won't boot using a consumer ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex motherboard. These CPUs are designed for edge and embedded deployments with specialized platforms that lie outside the consumer sector. This high-TDP PQE variant has a base power of 125 W, powering a 12 P-Core variant with 24 threads and a base frequency of 3.4 GHz. This model can boost all 12 cores to 5.3 GHz, while a single thread can reach up to 5.9 GHz independently for tasks requiring intensive single-threaded performance. It is equipped with 36 MB of L3 cache and an integrated GPU with 32 EUs of Xe-LP graphics.

Unfortunately, regardless of the SKU or consumer motherboard choice, the platform will not work, and the CPU will not boot, as Intel has restricted "Bartlett Lake-S" to keep it away from consumers. Companies like ASRock have confirmed that the "Bartlett Lake-S" Core 200E will not be available for consumer motherboards and will only be used in the embedded and edge computer sector. This means you can technically buy and use this CPU for any Windows or Linux task, including gaming, but you will have to go through a process of acquiring an industrial-grade motherboard or a mini-PC that suits this platform. This means gaming support will be limited, as Intel explicitly will not bring any optimizations like APO/IPO to the platform for gaming. Instead, it will be treated as a generic x86-64 Intel CPU, just like any other processor. Extracting the maximum gaming performance could also be problematic, as there could be compatibility issues, given that Intel has envisioned other applications for this platform.

NVIDIA has officially pulled its latest GeForce 595.59 WHQL Game Ready driver from the downloads page as user reports of stability issues continue to pile up. Reportedly, users are experiencing fan detection issues on their GPU coolers, with only a single fan working. Some issues like clock stability have also occurred. On NVIDIA's official GeForce Forums, users have been complaining about driver stability, and the company has advised users to roll back the driver version to the previously stable 591.86 WHQL driver if they are experiencing any symptoms. The GeForce 595.59 WHQL Game Ready driver was launched as an optimization package to get Resident Evil Requiem and Marathon games running smoothly, which turned into a disaster that the community has reported.

NVIDIAFebruary 26th, 11am PT Update: We have discovered a bug in the Game Ready and Studio 595.59 WHQL drivers and have removed the downloads temporarily while our team investigates. For users that have already installed this driver, and are experiencing issues with fan control, please roll back to 591.86 WHQL. NVIDIA app users can reinstall their previous driver by clicking the three dots in the Drivers tab.

Update 06:57 UTC: We have removed the broken driver version from our downloads section.

Early access to AMD Radeon Software's "Vanguard" driver testing program has reportedly revealed a new Radeon FSR 4.1 DLL file, which is the next update for AMD's FSR 4 technology. According to the latest leak, AMD is preparing the FSR 4.1 update, which should bring some visual or performance enhancements, or both. Some Reddit PC enthusiasts are applying workarounds to run the file on RDNA 3 hardware, even though AMD officially doesn't support FSR 4 on the RDNA 3 generation due to some missing instructions on the older microarchitecture. Running these files can produce visible quality gains but are experimental, varying widely by title and system setup. Even when a leaked DLL carries a digital signature, running unofficial binaries can trigger instability, break driver integrity checks, or conflict with future official updates.

However, the enthusiast community has run the experiment and confirms that early side-by-side comparisons show small improvements in fine detail and edge definition when the leaked FSR 4.1 binary is forced into titles that previously used FSR 4.0.3. Testers describe sharper foliage and fabric textures and less ghosting. Other users report inconsistent results and artifacts, suggesting that the update is still a work in progress. We could have expected the update to land alongside AMD Software Adrenalin 26.2.2 WHQL drivers that launched today, as the DLL file was found in the beta test of the 26.2.2 driver, but since the update is still experimental, maybe the next Adrenalin update will bring the FSR 4.1 update as an official package.

NVIDIA CFO Colette Kress confirmed that the gaming sector may struggle during the company's latest Q4 earnings call. In a short but very important note, she stated, "Looking ahead, while end demand for our products remains strong and channel inventory levels are healthy, we expect supply constraints to be the headwind to Gaming in Q1 and beyond." This sentence is rather vague but conveys the message that supply constraints will definitely impact the GeForce RTX 50 series lineup in the current quarter and possibly beyond. NVIDIA's current product inventory is in good shape, meaning that both silicon from TSMC and secured GDDR7 memory are sufficient for the time being, but once the inventory levels start to deplete, availability will become a problem.

Team Green has massive capacity secured at TSMC's facilities for manufacturing "Blackwell" GPUs, meaning that no production issues stem from that end. However, memory makers, with whom NVIDIA collaborates, are supply constrained in delivering their GDDR7 memory solutions, leaving NVIDIA with little to work with outside its high-margin server sector. As NVIDIA supplies its AIC partners with both memory and GPU dies, having no memory modules to bundle with the GPUs becomes a supply bottleneck, leaving the company waiting for weeks without a fresh inventory of memory modules. Hence, NVIDIA now expects that demand will continue to be strong among gamers, but the situation may be getting slightly worse as inventory levels start to deplete.

Intel has released its latest 101.8531 Non-WHQL Arc GPU graphics drivers, offering day-one game support for titles like Marathon, Resident Evil Requiem, and the World of Warcraft: Midnight DLC expansion pack. Intel notes that with this driver version, users of Intel Arc "Battlemage" and Arc "Alchemist" integrated and discrete GPUs will experience support and some performance improvements across other games, which are now being further optimized. For example, for "Panther Lake," this beta driver delivers a 35% FPS increase in Witcher 3 at 1080p with high settings, while Arc "Alchemist" sees a Resident Evil Requiem FPS boost of up to 40% on average at 1080p with ultra settings. Interestingly, Intel is optimizing new games for its older products, which is a promising sign for anyone considering purchasing the newer "Panther Lake" chips for gaming. With Intel planning to launch Core Ultra G3 SoCs for handhelds in a few months, consistent driver optimization is quite noteworthy.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc Graphics Driver 101.8531 Beta.

NVIDIA reported its full-year 2025 results with massive revenue of $215.9 billion, with $68.1 billion coming in the fourth quarter. The company's earnings call after the results were published contained some interesting information and confirmed that the first "Vera Rubin" VR200 racks are shipping to customers as samples, with volume shipping to commence in the second half of 2026. NVIDIA confirmed that the upcoming platform, which includes the Vera CPU, Rubin GPU, NVLink 6 switch, ConnectX-9 SuperNIC, BlueField-4 DPU, and Spectrum-6 Ethernet switch, will be powering the next-generation trillion-parameter models with only one-fourth of the GPUs compared to the previous-generation "Blackwell" and will reduce inference costs by up to 10 times.

NVIDIA CFO Colette KressWe shipped our first Vera Rubin samples to customers earlier this week, and we remain on track to commence production shipments in the second half of the year. Based on its modular, cable-free tray design, Rubin will deliver improved resiliency and serviceability relative to Blackwell. We expect every cloud model builder to deploy Vera Rubin.

A few days ago, we reported that AMD is seemingly ending driver support for its Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC, just two and a half years after its launch. Since Lenovo issued product guidance that the company will no longer provide updates, and ASUS's own ROG Ally handheld console had not received an update in over six months, the situation was dire. However, ASUS today released a new driver update for its ROG Ally handheld console, which had been stuck with six-month-old SoC drivers from August 2025. This changes the situation from the platform being completely abandoned for half a year to a periodic update window that will likely continue unless gamers encounter a surprise change.

Initially, we couldn't determine the "blame" for this irregular driver update cycle, as it could have been either AMD or OEMs being slow with the driver updates. As AMD offers configurable TDP (cTDP) for the Z1 Extreme with values ranging from 9 to 30 W, this means that OEMs can get SoCs in various configurations, each needing to be tested and verified before distributing an official driver. To add more to the mess, Lenovo Korea has confirmed that their own driver update plan for the product has stopped, leaving users to switch to other platforms or use Linux-based operating systems that carry their own drivers for these platforms to extract maximum longevity. Hence, the entire situation is now more complicated.

Samsung is officially ending the production of its 2D NAND flash storage this year, and the company will be repurposing its old production lines to better fit the AI-driven demand. According to The Elec Korea, Samsung plans to officially stop 2D NAND production at its Hwaseong site, with Line 12 being the one carrying this aging technology. Instead of completely abandoning this facility, which houses plenty of chip-making tools, Samsung will repurpose them for DRAM metallization, which is the process of applying actual pathways within the DRAM itself to connect memory cells. Interestingly, the Hwaseong Line 12 holds a monthly wafer production capacity of 80,000 to 100,000 12-inch wafers. This is a significant number of wafers, which are now only used for 2D NAND Flash, a technology that is no longer needed in the wake of 3D NAND Flash technology.

Continuing the Line 12 legacy will be Samsung's 6th-generation 10 nm-class 1c DRAM, a technology used for HBM4, and Samsung expects the total wafer capacity for 1c DRAM to reach about 200,000 wafers per month in the second half of the year. Adapting the old 2D NAND Flash production site will definitely help, and Samsung will run this production along with Pyeongtaek Line 3 and Line 4.

The popular hardware diagnostics utility HWiNFO launched its latest v8.42 version on February 24th. Interestingly, one of the main features of this release is the improved support for Intel "Nova Lake" processors, despite this CPU generation being months away from commercial launch. This means that the tool can now distinguish between different Intel processors and even run diagnostics on engineering samples of "Nova Lake-S," despite the processor not being commercially available for another few quarters. It is possible that the utility is now raising a flag when detecting "Nova Lake," which has its own unique processor ID, and this could be found in some early compiler patches for GCC and LLVM that are enabling these processors before launch. With the launch of v8.42, the tool also gains NPU stress testing, but only in the Pro version.Below is the complete changelog.

Apple is preparing a massive refresh cycle for its 2026 MacBook Pro laptops, with the major redesign being at the very center of the laptop. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the most reliable sources of Apple news, the company is preparing to implement its Dynamic Island feature on its MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 versions, both of which will carry the new feature. Alongside Dynamic Island, which is replacing the traditional notch we have on MacBooks today, Apple is also implementing OLED display technology that will replace the current Mini LED display found on the current generation of MacBooks.

For the Dynamic Island, Apple will bring over much of the functionality from its iPhone models, which includes status updates and a front camera cutout, but in a different shape. As the iPhone uses the Dynamic Island to host Face ID sensors, the MacBook Pro version should only include a camera sensor cutout with software support from the OS. However, the most interesting part of the announcement should be the touchscreen ability with OLED panels. Apple is reportedly optimizing its new operating system to unlock new gestures for touch, where each touch will invoke a new panel or a new interface. This design will reportedly not be similar to the iPad, but just another sensory aid to the current input method with a keyboard and a mouse.

NVIDIA has posted multiple job openings, which give us several hints about the company's plans for gaming on Linux and what the possible plan could look like. According to the now-removed listing, NVIDIA is hiring engineers to diagnose CPU and GPU performance bottlenecks on Linux when running the Proton compatibility layer and Vulkan graphics API. This suggests that NVIDIA is either refining its product support for the massive wave of gamers transitioning to Linux or preparing for an entirely new platform. For example, as NVIDIA is currently preparing N1/N1X SoCs for laptops, the company could create dedicated handheld chips for devices like Valve's Steam Deck, which currently runs on AMD's SoC. There are multiple handheld vendors now, and NVIDIA could be powering a new handheld with its laptop N1/N1X chips under Linux.

The job descriptions clearly indicate that the work will cover everything from the game engine and translation layers, such as Proton, to drivers and hardware interaction. This focus suggests that efforts will not be limited to profiling but will also include proposing API usage changes, building repeatable test cases, and collaborating with translation-layer and distribution maintainers to implement fixes. Anyone using NVIDIA graphics under Linux will also be impacted, as the company's polishing of the software stack will bring a definitive quality of life improvement to games. This can include fewer stutters, better frame pacing, and reduced CPU overhead in titles that rely on Vulkan or run under Proton, which translates Windows-specific API calls and optimizes games to run on Linux.

Retail DDR5 prices in Germany have finally shown a small sign of cooling down after the steep climb in the past months. The decline is small and not yet uniform across models, but it is the first sustained easing many DIY PC enthusiasts and small shops have noticed since prices began to spike in late 2025 and reached astronomical levels recently. A widely shared community chart tracking an average 32 GB DDR5 kit across the European Union captured the climb from autumn into early February and then a late-period dip. That chart is useful as a broad signal, but it leaves open important details such as the exact kit measured, which countries were included, and whether listed prices include taxes.

To add more context, independent checks of historical listings on Amazon Germany using CamelCamelCamel show that several mainstream 32 GB DDR5 kits have dropped from their highs. Two of the larger declines were visible on popular models from Corsair and Kingston, while other brands recorded smaller pullbacks. There are a few likely reasons for the softening. Buyers may be pausing upgrades after a period of rapid price increases. Some retailers could be cutting prices to move stock and reduce inventory risk. It is also possible that a small amount of additional supply has filtered through the distribution chain, away from the AI supply chain. However, any of these explanations still need more substance. For a complete return to normal pricing, we will probably need to see clearer improvements in production capacity or a sustained drop in demand, and this improvement could only be a short term correction.

Samsung Foundry has struck gold as its utilization rate has jumped to an impressive 80% this quarter. This comes after many years of struggling to achieve a good utilization rate, while competitors like TSMC have consistently led the adoption of newer nodes and gained a massive customer base. However, the situation has now changed, and Samsung's foundries are now operating at about 80% of total capacity, consistently producing silicon, with the Pyeongtaek Campus P2 and P3 leading the charge. Previously, these lines were only achieving a 50% booking rate last year and even struggled with insufficient production volume in the second half of 2024. Samsung uses these sites to manufacture 4 nm, 5 nm, and 7 nm nodes, which are now considered "mature," as the leading edge shifts to sub-3 nm production.

Part of the foundry revival is attributed to the strong demand for its 6th-generation HBM, coming in the form of HBM4 with a custom base die manufactured on the 4 nm node. While competitors are making HBM4 base dies on older nodes, Samsung is using a 4 nm custom base die that provides higher design density for any logic that ASIC makers want to implement. This can include some data processing that will aid the main accelerator in AI workloads. This has translated into high demand for Samsung Foundry products from external customers, who are now keeping production at high capacity.

According to the latest job listings, we learn that Intel is planning the return of a unified core architecture, something we haven't been accustomed to in the last few years. Starting with the 12th Generation "Alder Lake" processors, Intel began selling hybrid core processors that combine "Golden Cove" performance cores and "Gracemont" efficient cores. These became commonly known as P and E-Cores, which are now being used across Intel products in hybrid designs or P/E-core-only Xeon processors, of course, with the latest designs and iterations. However, as the new job listings suggest, Intel is assembling a team of engineers for its "Unified Core" design group that will deliver the new microarchitecture to power the next generation of processors.

Separating the core design into P-Cores and E-Cores has yielded Intel the desired results that the company hoped for. This includes product separation and many goals across platforms. For example, in the consumer sector, E-Cores run a lot of side and background tasks in the operating system, while P-Cores power main applications like games. To extract maximum performance, Intel has a dedicated Thread Director that makes the entire process work and dictates just what application goes to which core, in tandem with the operating system. Intel also provides P-Core-only and E-Core-only Xeon server processors that serve either performance sectors like HPC and AI or the cloud sector that needs many cores with somewhat lower performance, but in a dense 100-core+ package.

AMD has reportedly stopped driver updates for its Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU solution for handheld consoles, according to the latest Lenovo Korea update. This means that only after 2 and a half years, AMD is pulling support for its SoC, leaving many enthusiasts in a difficult spot. Confirmation from multiple sources are piling up as Reddit users and customers of other handheld consoles are stating that support for their specific devices, based on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC, are also stuck using drivers that are several months old. For example, a user has commented that his ASUS ROG Ally non-X version based on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC has been stuck with six-month-old SoC drivers from August 2025. This means that AMD has effectively placed the Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme chips into a periodic update window, with no latest driver support coming to this 2023 SoC.

However, the situation is quite complex. OEMs like Lenovo and ASUS receive drivers from AMD and test them for their specific configurations. AMD offers configurable TDP (cTDP) for the Z1 Extreme with values ranging from 9 to 30 W. This means that OEMs can get a SoC with reduced clocks and power settings to match their desired handheld designs, or simply run the most aggressive 30 W configuration that will sacrifice some battery life but deliver overall higher CPU and GPU clocks. Hence, drivers must be tested to ensure they work properly on the specific TDP configuration by the OEM before they are installed by the user. Finding the "blame" is proving to be difficult, as it could be that AMD is not bothering with new updates, or OEMs are not eager to test their specific configurations.

In a new letter to channel partners, Lenovo has stated that the company expects PC price hikes in March amid the memory crunch affecting the industry. The letter, obtained by CRN, notes that Lenovo's North America channel chief, Wade McFarland, mentioned there will be some pricing changes to certain products and configurations that Lenovo offers, which will be communicated later with the exact specification changes. In the letter, Wade McFarland noted that there have been some changes to the ordering policy for the Intelligent Devices Group (IDG), responsible for PCs like desktops, notebooks, and tablets, while the Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) unit responsible for server solutions is also experiencing the same changes. Lenovo's North American president, Ryan McCurdy, noted that "we've absolutely had to adjust and continue to adjust [pricing]. There's no way around it."

However, the company has advised its partners to submit orders while it is still February, as that will lock in the pricing at which Lenovo can supply PCs before the price hike expected in March. "Pricing is influenced by both order timing and fulfillment timing, and Lenovo reviews pricing periodically in response to evolving market conditions," notes Wade McFarland, adding that Lenovo's memory suppliers have been good and that the company has been informed of every pricing change in advance so that it can effectively communicate with its clients and warn them before any changes happen. That way, clients don't experience pricing shocks that may impact their purchasing decisions, as Lenovo sells millions of PCs every month. A slight, unexpected price change may result in a significant change in purchasing decisions, so communication with clients is key.

The name synonymous with Xbox—Phil Spencer—is leaving Microsoft after nearly 40 years at the company. He started as an intern back in 1988 and has been with the Xbox team since 2001, helping the project thrive in the following decades. According to the announcement, Microsoft is overhauling its Gaming division with some new names, while the old executive team has left the company. In addition to Phil Spencer, Xbox president Sarah Bond has also left the company. From now on, Asha Sharma, who currently serves as the company chief for the CoreAI product, will be taking on the new role as the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella shared a memo with all Microsoft employees about the status of this update.

Satya NadellaLast year, Phil Spencer made the decision to retire from the company, and since then we've been talking about succession planning. I want to thank Phil for his extraordinary leadership and partnership. Over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming, Phil helped transform what we do and how we do it.

Thanks to a new table specification matrix published by a known leaker Jaykihn on X, we are seeing the final specifications of Intel's long-rumored "Bartlett Lake-S" Core 200E family of CPUs with P-Cores only. This platform is designed to fit inside Intel's LGA-1700 socket, but from a consumer standpoint represents a non-existent product that will not reach their hands, as Intel has abandoned the plan to launch this highly anticipated gamer CPU. Instead, Intel will only offer it for its edge and embedded products. At the top of the stack is the Core 9 273 PQE SKU, which is a 12 P-Core variant with 24 threads and a base frequency of 3.4 GHz. This model can boost all of its 12 cores to 5.3 GHz, while a single thread can go up to 5.9 GHz independently for tasks that require intensive single-threaded performance. It is equipped with 36 MB of L3 cache and an integrated GPU with 32 EUs of Xe-LP graphics.

Interestingly, the entire lineup is separated into three categories. One is a high-TDP PQE with a base power of 125 W, while the middle PE models are 65 W designs with lower clocks. The weakest models are the PTE SKUs that have a TDP of 45 W, which are more ideal for edge deployments where power/efficiency is the most important factor. Across the lineup, there are versions with 8, 10, and 12 cores, all with Hyper-Threading for 16, 20, and 24 threads. Some SKUs from the PE and PTE lineups do not enjoy Intel vPro and ECC memory support, while the PQE high-power SKUs are all equipped with vPro and ECC memory support. You can check out the complete table comparison and product segmentation below for more specific information on different models.