Intel Corporation today announced the appointment of Aparna Bawa as EVP, chief legal & people officer. Bawa will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan and will lead Intel's global legal, ethics, compliance, people, and culture organizations as the company accelerates its transformation and execution agenda.

"The role of legal and people leadership has never been more critical as Intel drives cultural transformation with discipline, speed, and integrity," said Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. "Aparna brings a rare combination of operational rigor, business judgment, and people-first leadership. Her experience helping scale global technology companies through periods of significant change will be invaluable as we build a stronger, more agile Intel."

Valve's next-generation Steam Deck 2 handheld console is reportedly planned for release in 2028, with significant manufacturing changes expected for this sequel to the highly successful handheld gaming device. According to a well-known industry leaker, KeplerL2, posting in the NeoGAF community, Valve is targeting a 2028 refresh for the second-generation Steam Deck. However, the ongoing supply chain shortages of DRAM and NAND Flash could cause disruptions to these plans, potentially leading to delays. Interestingly, this period is when the shortages are expected to start easing, so the Steam Deck 2 could still be released on time, depending on Valve's sourcing capabilities.

One of the most significant procurement shifts for the Steam Deck 2 is Valve's choice of the computing base that will power the handheld. Instead of using a semi-custom AMD APU, Valve is expected to use an off-the-shelf AMD APU that won't require any custom tuning from AMD to meet Valve's needs. This is welcome news, as the latest Steam Machine showed that Valve's reliance on a semi-custom APU solution made the hardware "obsolete" quickly while the rest of the industry advanced. With any semi-custom solution, stockpiling silicon and waiting for DRAM/NAND modules to arrive puts pressure on Valve to ship a product that is significantly underpowered or too expensive. However, with an off-the-shelf solution, Valve could use the best available option at the time of shipping and optimize SteamOS around it.

On your Windows PC, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) uses Secure Boot certificates to ensure that only trusted software initiates the startup sequence. The certificates currently in use were originally issued in 2011 and are set to expire in late June 2026. To address this, Microsoft has been quietly rolling out updated certificates through Windows Update. Starting in April 2026, users can check their device's status via a new indicator in the Windows Security app. By navigating to Device security and then Secure Boot, a color-coded badge will show whether your device is fully updated, awaiting an update, or requires immediate attention.

The badge system is simple yet significant. A green checkmark indicates that the new certificates are installed and no further action is needed. A yellow caution badge, which will start appearing in May 2026, means the update is either pending or has been blocked by a hardware or firmware limitation. A red stop icon is the most serious state and could appear as early as June 2026, once older certificates start expiring. When this occurs, the device will no longer be able to receive critical boot-level security updates. The same status is reflected in the Windows Security system tray icon, so warnings are visible even when the app is closed.

As we enter a new month, Steam's Hardware and Software Survey data has been processed, providing us with a clearer view of the overall gaming market that uses Steam platform. Today, the most notable change in the Steam Survey is the increase in Linux gamers, who have moved from their historically low single-digit market share to mid-single digits. As of March, Linux-based operating systems were running Steam on 5.33% of all polled systems. This represents an impressive 3.10% increase over February's data, which showed a dip in Linux market share from January's 3.5%. Fortunately, the numbers have now been revised upwards, marking a significant improvement for the community that has been steadily implementing improvements and making Linux-based gaming more accessible to everyone.

What might not be surprising is that a large portion of those 5.33% Linux installations run on Valve's customized SteamOS operating system. With a 24.48% share, the use of SteamOS grew by 0.65% last month alone, while other Linux distributions also contributed significantly. Other Windows alternatives like macOS are gaining momentum as well, with Apple seeing a 1.19% month-over-month increase to 2.35%. Although Linux now holds more than twice the market share of macOS, its growth within the Steam install base is a significant change, nearly doubling in just a month. Perhaps these alternative operating systems are now attracting enough attention from big game studios to encourage them to release native ports instead of relying on translation tools like Wine/Proton.

AMD's RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards have finally reached reasonable pricing, as German retailers report that these GPUs are now selling below MSRP. In Germany, the European MSRP for Radeon RX 9070 cards is €629, including 19% VAT. For its bigger sibling, the Radeon RX 9070 XT, the European MSRP is listed at €689, also including the sales tax. However, according to multiple listings from German online retailers, both cards are trading below their European MSRP pricing, marking the first occurrence since the memory shortage fiasco began, which took a toll on the gaming community. The cheapest Radeon RX 9070 non-XT model is listed at €539.00 in the form of the ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 OC SKU, while the cheapest Radeon RX 9070 XT model is listed at €640 for the ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Challenger GPU.

Interestingly, this price drop in Germany is not consistent with the markets in the United States, where GPU pricing for the Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT still ranges around $810-$820 for the non-XT SKU and about $880-$890 for the Radeon RX 9070 XT model. This represents a large premium in the U.S. market, considering that the Radeon RX 9070 and Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards have MSRPs of $549 and $599, respectively. Perhaps a fresh supply of GPUs has hit the German market, causing supply to overwhelm demand and significantly pushing prices down. In the U.S., that is not the case, where prices remain high and on an upward trajectory, according to PCPartPicker. In contrast, the German market is experiencing some of the lowest pricing in recent months, finally giving gamers a break.

Late last week, Microsoft released its KB5079391 non-security feature update for Windows 11, which was officially pulled due to widespread installation errors. Today, the company is issuing the out-of-band KB5086672 update to address this problem, as Microsoft has identified the source of the issue and the update can now be safely applied. This latest out-of-band KB5086672 update includes the KB5079473 package released on March 10, KB5085516 released on March 21, and the previously pulled KB5079391 released on March 26. Microsoft has combined all of these into the new KB5086672 package, which addresses the issues that appeared and introduces a variety of new features. Finally, the old installation error message, "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)," has been resolved for good.

Microsoft notes that this out-of-band update is available through Windows Update for devices running Windows 11 that have already installed KB5079473 or a later update. It is also available for manual download from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Currently, there are no known issues with this update, and if any arise, Microsoft will highlight them on their support documents website. Interestingly, KB5086672 is one of the first steps by Microsoft toward resolving the issues users have experienced with Windows 11 updates, and hopefully just the beginning of the overhaul that Microsoft has promised. Future non-security feature updates could also focus on other quality-of-life improvements, and installation errors should become less common.

Intel's "Wildcat Lake" processors, part of the Core 300 series non-Ultra family, have been leaked by a reputable source Jaykihn0 on X, revealing the entire lineup across various configurations and SKUs. The lineup includes six SKUs across the Core 3, Core 5, and Core 7 tiers, all designed to operate within a 15 to 35 W TDP range. Each model features a hybrid core configuration, pairing two "Cougar Cove" P-cores with four low-power efficiency cores, completely omitting the traditional "Darkmont" E-cores. Boost clocks range from 4.3 GHz on the entry-level Core 3 304 up to 4.8 GHz on the Core 7 360. All six SKUs share 6 MB of L3 cache, a single NPU tile, and integrated Xe3 graphics. The leak suggests that Intel is bringing architecture closely related to the Core Ultra 300 "Panther Lake" mobile platform into the embedded and industrial space, or perhaps into low-cost laptop configurations that don't require the power of "Panther Lake," appealing to buyers seeking budget-friendly options.

The 2P+0E+4LPE core layout is a deliberate trade-off, prioritizing efficiency over raw multithreaded performance, which suits the thermal constraints common in edge and IoT deployments. NPU performance figures range between 15 and 17 TOPS across the lineup. While this won't power the largest LLMs, it may be more than sufficient for on-device inference in industrial or automation settings. The Core 3 304 deserves special mention: it reduces to a single P-core and one Xe graphics unit, creating a clear cost-optimized option at the bottom of the lineup. SIPP certification, important for buyers needing stable, long-lifecycle platform support, is available on the Core 7 360 and Core 5 330 but not consistently across the lineup. Notably, there is no vPro support on any SKU, clearly distinguishing "Wildcat Lake" from Intel's enterprise mobile portfolio.

The NVIDIA App update today introduced some interesting features, such as DLSS 4.5 dynamic multi-frame generation and a 6x mode. Additionally, the app now includes a new beta version of NVIDIA Auto Shader Compilation (ASC). This feature takes DirectX 12 shaders from games and quietly compiles them while the system is idle or not running any graphically intensive tasks. Typically, when you start a game, you have to wait for all assets to load and shaders to compile before you can begin playing. However, with ASC, NVIDIA aims to shorten this process by pre-compiling shaders to reduce loading times and, interestingly, decrease in-game stuttering, which can occur when shaders don't load properly. NVIDIA states that this feature is opt-in within the NVIDIA App and can be enabled by navigating to the Graphics Tab > Global Settings > Shader Cache. Once in the menu, users can access a range of settings, including the option to turn on Auto Shader Compilation.

Since ASC uses a separate folder, users will need to allocate sufficient disk space to store the shaders that ASC will access. In the NVIDIA App, gamers can choose the "Compile Now" option to pre-compile all game shaders immediately by clicking on three dots, or they can wait for the system to do it automatically when it becomes idle. As compiling shaders requires some computing power, there are settings to control system utilization, with the default set to medium. The NVIDIA App will also display the date of the last compilation. Interestingly, ASC will perform its functions once a game is downloaded and after a new driver update is installed for optimal performance. NVIDIA requires GeForce Game Ready Driver 595.97 WHQL or newer for ASC to work, and more optimizations are expected as the beta testing concludes in the coming weeks.

The Intel Binary Optimization Tool (BOT) has been launched alongside the "Arrow Lake Refresh" series of processors, which includes the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and Core Ultra 7 270K Plus models. While the tool is beneficial for gamers looking to extract a few extra frames from their setups, it may be a nightmare for makers of benchmarking tools like Geekbench by Primate Labs. Recently, Primate Labs testing found that BOT changes the way .exe applications run and concluded that Geekbench runs will now flag these BOT-enhanced runs. However, in deeper testing, Primate Labs discovered that Intel's BOT may deliver significant boosts in some applications like Object Remover and HDR, increasing performance by up to 30%. This is thanks to the deep vectorization that the BOT performs behind the scenes to optimize performance.

For example, Primate Labs used Intel's own Software Development Emulator (SDE) to measure how many instructions were executed and which types of instructions the program executed. Without BOT, Geekbench 6 required a total of 1.26 trillion instructions to finish, while a BOT-enhanced run completed with 1.08 trillion instructions. This is an impressive 14% reduction. However, when examining the execution by type, we see that BOT makes heavy use of vector instructions like SSE2 and AVX2. The number of scalar instructions needed to execute a program fell from 220 billion to 84.6 billion, while the number of vector instructions increased from 1.25 billion to 18.3 billion, a 13.7x increase. This means that Intel BOT finds a way to turn inefficient scalar code into vectorized instructions that are processed much more efficiently inside Intel CPUs. These techniques indicate a very complex behind-the-scenes process than was originally believed. The Geekbench v6.7 update will include a flag for BOT, allowing future Geekbench results to be easily distinguished as BOT-enhanced or not.

AMD has quietly renamed its Anti-Lag 2 technology as part of the FSR package, now calling it "FSR Latency Reduction 2.0." This move aligns with AMD's recent trend of rebranding FSR-related technologies. The AMD Radeon marketing team has successfully unified FidelityFX Super Resolution under the FSR branding, although Anti-Lag 2 was previously an exception, bundled with other AMD technologies. The advanced graphics technology, once known as FidelityFX Super Resolution, is now simply called "FSR." This change is reflected on AMD's official product page, which notes that FSR stands for "formerly AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution." However, AMD has not formally announced this rebranding. These changes occurred before the official launch of the FSR "Redstone" product in late December last year. Now, every new announcement features the standard FSR language, suggesting that this renaming might be part of a broader update to Anti-Lag 2.

Since FSR is aimed at gamers, it is now included in the FSR package as "FSR Latency Reduction 2.0." With FSR Redstone, AMD has already grouped four technologies under the FSR "Redstone" name: FSR Upscaling, FSR Frame Generation, FSR Ray Regeneration, and FSR Radiance Caching. If the renaming becomes more than just a label update, FSR Latency Reduction 2.0 could become the fifth component of the FSR "Redstone" suite. Technologies like AMD Anti-Lag 2 are specifically designed to reduce latency by improving CPU and GPU coordination. Even without frame generation, it can lower latency in a game, but it may be especially useful when synthetic frames are involved, helping to keep latency at a level where any added delay is far less noticeable.

NVIDIA has finally launched its long-teased Dynamic Multi Frame Generation (MFG) and Multi Frame Generation 6x mode today through a new NVIDIA app beta update. This marks the full public release of NVIDIA's DLSS 4.5 technology suite, which enables the GPU to generate up to five additional frames following each traditionally rendered frame using generative AI. Using the new MFG 6x mode results in a 6x performance uplift, meaning a game that traditionally runs at 60 FPS can now reach 360 FPS. Users will need to enable "beta and experimental features" in the NVIDIA app's Settings menu, and the GeForce Game Ready Driver 595.79 WHQL or newer is required to access all features. This will give a limited set of games (for now) a massive performance uplift, which includes ARC Raiders Flashpoint, Marvel Rivals Season 7, 007 First Light, CONTROL Resonant, and Tides of Annihilation. More games will get the official support as NVIDIA is working with game studios.

However, for setups where a monitor is maxed out at 240 Hz or 144 Hz, as many gaming panels are, using 6x MFG would be overkill. This is where Dynamic MFG comes into play. The technology determines which MFG multiplier is needed based on the display's refresh rate capability and the input framerate from the upscaler. NVIDIA calls this the "automatic transmission" for MFG, drawing a parallel to modern vehicle automatic transmission systems that switch gears based on demand. In graphically intensive scenarios, the multiplier can scale up to 4x, 5x, or 6x, while lighter scenes like settings menus or static sequences may only require a 2x multiplier to hit the target frame rate.

NVIDIA is reportedly experiencing manufacturing issues with its next-generation "Rubin Ultra" GPU design, one of the company's most ambitious chip development projects, due to the limitations of modern packaging technology. The world's largest company is already shipping customer samples of the standard "Rubin" GPUs, with mass shipments set to begin this summer. However, the current roadmap for the upgraded "Rubin Ultra" design may be encountering technological limitations, as NVIDIA's design goals are too ambitious for TSMC's packaging capabilities. Reportedly, NVIDIA plans to double the regular "Rubin" two-die package with 8 HBM4 modules into a new "Rubin Ultra" package that will include four silicon dies and 16 HBM4E modules in a single package. This configuration is scheduled for 2027, but the sheer volume of silicon may be too much for TSMC's packaging, according to Global Semi Research.

In a typical CoWoS package, TSMC usually combines multiple smaller dies and multiple HBM memory modules into a unified package that supports the entire AI build-out. However, with the ambitious "Rubin Ultra" design, NVIDIA planned to use CoWoS-L, which was expected to handle the design and concept that "Rubin Ultra" was based on. It is rumored, however, that in a 2+2 die package—meaning four dies as in this architecture—TSMC is encountering warping issues. The package—which includes a substrate—is bending in multiple directions, causing the compute dies of "Rubin Ultra" to not make complete contact with the underlying substrate. This instability means that TSMC has to explore alternatives within its packaging portfolio. One of these alternatives is a panelized approach called CoPoS, which stands for Chip-on-Panel-on-Substrate.

NVIDIA's latest GeForce NOW update has introduced 90 FPS streaming to various VR headsets, and Apple users are in for a treat. For the Apple Vision Pro headset, GeForce NOW will deliver 90 FPS at 4K resolution, offering a noticeable improvement for anyone using NVIDIA's game streaming service with their Vision Pro headset. The Apple Vision Pro features two displays, one for each eye, capable of running at a resolution of 3,660 × 3,200 and up to 120 Hz. It's great news that NVIDIA has updated its GeForce NOW service to officially support at least 4K resolution, running at 90 FPS. While it's unclear how many gamers use the Apple Vision Pro as their gaming display, the addition of support by NVIDIA suggests a significant number. Available as part of the Ultimate package, members can stream at 90 FPS on other VR headsets as well, but at lower resolutions.

Additionally, everyone can stream at 1080p and 90 FPS, while 1440p is reserved for Pico and Meta Quest. Currently, only the Apple Vision Pro can handle 4K and 90 FPS output from GeForce NOW. Although not many games can run at 4K resolution and 90 FPS on their own, NVIDIA's DLSS technology can boost the frame rate and deliver impressive visuals, ensuring a smooth 4K mode at 90 FPS. Finally, NVIDIA has also scheduled the rollout of H.265 video decoding support for browsers, which will greatly enhance streaming efficiency and visual quality from NVIDIA's virtual gaming server.

Samsung has developed a new SSD controller based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set, moving away from the Arm ISA in some of its SSD controllers. With the introduction of the BM9K1 PCIe 5.0 QLC NAND SSD, Samsung has officially created a proprietary RISC-V IP that will serve as a foundation for many SSDs the company plans to release. Announced at the China Flash Market Summit 2026, the BM9K1 SSD has been showcased with just one metric: sequential read speed. Achieving a maximum sequential read speed of 11.4 GB/s, Samsung has reached impressive speeds for QLC NAND Flash. While the sequential write speed is unknown, it is expected to be around 10 GB/s, varying slightly depending on Samsung's design. Typically, high-performance SSDs use TLC NAND, as seen in Samsung's own 9100 Pro SSD, which we reviewed. It features 3D TLC V-NAND V8 with 236 layers. While this SSD uses TLC NAND and has a proprietary Samsung Presto 5 nm controller running on Arm-based cores, Samsung might transition a significant portion of its SSD lineup to a RISC-V based design with the BM9K1, offering satisfactory performance with QLC NAND.

Interestingly, Samsung has designed this SSD with considerations for size, power, and AI. For instance, the BM9K1 PCIe 5.0 SSD replaces the previous BM9C1 PCIe 4.0 SSD controller. Although both use QLC NAND, the newer BM9K1 features a new RISC-V controller and a fresh PCIe 5.0 interface, doubling the performance in sequential reads on average. The power efficiency of the new RISC-V design is also improved. Samsung claims a 23% increase in power efficiency, thanks to the flexibility of RISC-V, which allows for greater customization and optimization of the controller firmware to match I/O patterns with the QLC NAND, resulting in nearly a quarter less power consumption. This improvement is expected to have a significant impact on small form factor PCs and client laptops. The main drawback of the design is the use of QLC NAND, but Samsung may introduce TLC NAND SSDs with RISC-V controllers in the future. For now, these remain on the 5 nm Presto Arm-powered controllers.

Microsoft has withdrawn its latest KB5079391 non-security feature update after users reported significant problems and installation errors. According to Microsoft's official documents, the company has temporarily paused the rollout of this update while investigating the installation error 0x80073712. If you applied this late March update, your operating system might display errors like "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)." To prevent further issues, Microsoft decided to temporarily pull this Windows 11 update until the problem is resolved. Microsoft has reportedly identified the issue and will share more information soon as the bug is fixed. Once the fix is applied, Microsoft will reintroduce the update, possibly with a different KB package number, through the Windows Update process.

This is happening just days after Microsoft published its Windows 11 plans and roadmap for upcoming updates. This includes a promised focus on stability to restore Windows 11 to its full glory, but this has been insufficient so far, as this late March KB5079391 non-security feature update had been prepared a little longer before the promise. Hence, the time has been insufficient for the update plans and what Microsoft has in store for Windows 11. It seems we will have to endure a few more cycles of challenging updates and releases before the entire issue portfolio is resolved and an update becomes an actual improvement rather than a nightmare for users.

Microsoft is finally updating its long-standing kernel policy, which previously allowed old drivers with expired certificates to run and be trusted by the Windows 11 NT Kernel. This change means that Microsoft's early 2000s program for cross-signing root programs as valid will no longer function. This program had enabled NT Kernel-trusted code signing programs to execute even after their certificates expired. As a result, third-party driver developers, such as printer makers with their old printer drivers, could run old drivers on Windows 11 without a valid security certificate. However, this is coming to an end, as Microsoft will use its April update to instruct the Windows NT Kernel to only accept new drivers signed through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP).

The WHCP will ensure that each driver receives a valid security certificate that meets Microsoft's security standards. This update will be implemented with OS versions Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, Windows Server 2025, and future releases. Despite this change, Microsoft will still allow Windows to load older, trusted drivers to maintain backward compatibility and its long-standing plug-and-play feature. The April 2026 Windows update will begin enforcing the new policy in evaluation mode on supported systems. During this period, Windows will monitor driver activity and only fully activate the policy once it determines that doing so will not cause compatibility issues. Microsoft is also maintaining a curated allow list of reputable cross-signed drivers, ensuring that widely used software and hardware can continue to function where necessary, easing the transition.

Apple has officially discontinued its high-end Mac Pro desktop computer, with no plans to refresh the model in the future. According to the company, which confirmed the decision to 9to5Mac, Apple had been selling the Mac Pro alongside other Mac options that were more aligned with its strategic goals. Initially launched with a redesigned casing in 2019, the Mac Pro was powered by Intel processors until Apple decided to switch to its M2 Ultra SoC in 2023. However, this model has gone a long time without any hardware updates. Apple even introduced an M3 Ultra chip last year but decided to pair it with the Mac Studio instead. The Mac Studio is a smaller, more compact machine that offers greater performance than the Mac Pro while being more practical for various work environments. Multiple Mac Studios can also be interconnected with Thunderbolt 5, making them a potential compute cluster.

For now, Apple will maintain the Mac Studio as its "pro" Mac option, with a refresh expected either this year or next. The current top configuration of the Mac Studio includes an M3 Ultra chip with a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU. This powerful setup is paired with up to 256 GB of memory and up to 16 TB of SSD storage. With the introduction of this model without updating the Mac Pro, it was clear that the Mac Pro's days were numbered. Surprisingly, Apple's future desktop computer strategy will focus on the Mac Mini and Mac Studio, complementing its extensive lineup of MacBooks, which includes the Pro, Air, and the newly launched Neo. As one of the largest Apple computer lineups ever, simplifying and removing some products makes sense for a company that is focused on custom silicon.

Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system officially has a dark mode, but many UI elements, menus, and applications from Microsoft still lack proper dark mode support. Microsoft is working to address this issue in the world's most widespread operating system. Since the introduction of WinUI, many releases and versions have been shipped with the operating system. For example, Windows 10 retains many UI elements from the Windows 7 era and earlier versions. However, Microsoft plans to modernize the entire UI ecosystem with more WinUI 3 for a modern look and feel, which will also enhance dark mode support. According to Marcus Ash, who leads Microsoft's Windows Design and Research team, the overhaul is near. When a user on X asked when dark mode support would come to Regedit, Marcus Ash responded:

We are pushing to get our tools and techniques to the point where we can implement the dark theme in more areas across Windows. No timelines to commit to yet for Regedit. As we make progress in various legacy system panels and dialogs, we will keep improving consistency.

When the rumor mill for Intel's "Arrow Lake Refresh" began, we expected three SKUs: Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, and a flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus. However, we later discovered that Intel is not launching the flagship SKU and will only release the Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 models. Instead, Intel chose to focus on delivering value with its Core Ultra 7 270K Plus SKU, which features 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores with a maximum turbo boost of 5.5 GHz. For individual boosting frequency, P-Cores reach up to 5.4 GHz, with a base speed of 3.7 GHz. E-Cores have a maximum boost frequency of 4.7 GHz and a base speed of 3.2 GHz. The main reason for canceling the flagship SKU is product overlap, as the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus would have the same core configuration as the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, just with slightly higher clock speeds. Consequently, Intel decided not to launch this SKU. It has now been confirmed by Intel Germany for PC Games Hardware that Intel will definitely not introduce this SKU at any point in the future.

Florian Maislinger, Tech Communication Manager, Intel GermanyIntel is excited to deliver exceptional value with our Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus series processors. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus are positioned to deliver outstanding gaming performance and incredible value compared to our competition. Our objective was to maximize performance for the desktop SKUs that are most widely available. As a result, Intel is not launching a U9 290K Plus SKU.

NVIDIA has officially released its second hotfix driver this month, GeForce 596.02 Hotfix, addressing the stuttering issue found in the previous 595.97 WHQL, which was released just yesterday. According to the official driver changelogs, the only game experiencing stuttering was Arknights: Endfield, which was apparently severe enough for NVIDIA to issue a complete hotfix driver. No other changes have been included in this hotfix release. NVIDIA notes that the quality of hotfix drivers is usually unknown, as they go through a much shorter quality testing pipeline than WHQL drivers. These hotfix drivers are designed to provide quick iterations and changes so that gamers who installed the new game-ready or regular WHQL drivers aren't left dealing with game stutters while waiting for the next driver release. Finally, NVIDIA advises that if you aren't experiencing any issues with your current 595.97 WHQL driver, it's best to wait for the next WHQL release to ensure your system remains as stable as possible. The next WHQL release will integrate the changes from the 596.02 Hotfix driver, so you won't have to worry.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 596.02 Hotfix Beta.

Last week, we reported that Intel is preparing to increase CPU prices by 10% across its client PC sector. However, a new report from Nikkei Asia suggests that AMD is also joining this trend, with plans for a PC CPU price hike as well. Reportedly, AMD Ryzen CPUs could see prices rise by 15% compared to the same time last year, when prices were typically around the MSRP at retailers. Now, as CPU demand has depleted inventories and the focus remains on server and data center CPU production, capacity for the client segment has been significantly reduced, leading to little to no inventory for PC enthusiasts. Large OEMs like HP and Dell are among the first to feel the pressure from the dwindling supply chain and have reported a significant gap between demand and supply for their PC systems.

Nikkei also notes that both AMD and Intel have informed their clients that CPU price increases will take effect by the end of March and into April, which should start to manifest very soon. What used to be a one or two-week wait from order to CPU shipment has now stretched to a process lasting eight to twelve weeks. This means that a CPU batch ordered in April might not arrive until June. This period is expected to be the worst in terms of supply in the second quarter of this year. Even if OEMs are willing to pay extra to secure CPU supply, availability is lacking. The CPU shortage is worsening daily, coinciding with the ongoing memory and storage shortage we are already experiencing.

Alongside "Arrow Lake Refresh," Intel released a new Binary Optimization Tool, available for Core Ultra 270K Plus and 250K Plus SKUs. However, since the tool essentially changes the way .exe applications run, scores on popular benchmarking applications may be deemed invalid. According to Primate Labs, the developer behind Geekbench, the use of Intel's binary optimization tool will result in a special flag on Geekbench scores. Reportedly, as the tool modifies the instruction sequence that the CPU exhibits, benchmark scores will deviate from the standard range. In a standardized benchmarking environment, this is a massive negative consequence, as the inner workings of the Binary Optimization Tool are unknown and resemble a black box that benchmark makers like Primate Labs have to deal with. To combat the use of this tool, Geekbench will now display the message "This benchmark result may be invalid due to binary modification tools that can run on this system" as a warning.

In TechPowerUp's own testing of the Binary Optimization Tool, we found that Intel's Binary Optimization Tool boosts Geekbench v6 single-core performance by 8.2%, while the multi-core score has risen by 7.8%, resulting in about an 8% average uplift in Geekbench testing. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 experience smaller uplifts, while some select titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider can see up to a 22% increase using the Binary Optimization Tool. In reality, Intel only supports 12 games for now, which will expand further as the company labs release more optimizations. For gamers, this is fantastic news as the performance uplift is essentially free without any drawbacks, but for benchmarks, it is a potential issue as it represents an execution mystery since no one outside Intel knows exactly how the tool runs and how the code paths get modified.