Intel's Arc gaming GPU roadmap is in a weird state, as the company has reportedly been reshuffling a significant portion of its dedicated Arc desktop GPU launches for the upcoming quarters. Currently, Intel offers its second-generation "Battlemage" architecture, based on the Xe2 IP, as a dedicated desktop gaming GPU in the form of the B580 mid-range graphics card. For those interested in Xe3-based "Celestial" or Xe3P-based "Crescent Island" dedicated GPU variants, Intel leaker Jaykihn has confirmed that there won't be an update anytime soon. Even the next-generation Xe4 "Druid" is being reconsidered for dedicated gaming GPUs. Intel has previously confirmed that it will continue GPU development, but desktop gamers might not be the primary focus, leaving notebook users in a better position.

Intel currently offers new GPU IP through integrated graphics, such as the Arc B390 iGPU found in "Panther Lake" processors, which use Xe3 IP. However, desktop dedicated GPUs are still using Xe2, and even for a maxed-out "Battlemage" configuration, Intel only offers the Arc Pro B70 and Arc Pro B65 graphics cards. These cards maximize the BMG-G31 Xe2 silicon but are intended for professional users. A recent driver update added the ability to play games on these cards, but they are still primarily designed for AI workloads and professional visualization, and they are priced higher than what the average gamer would want. Gamers are still seeking clarity about future updates, and the lack of recent rumors regarding an additional Arc gaming discrete GPU is concerning. Below are older roadmaps, and we expect to see an updated version sometimes in the near future as Intel confirms changes.

Microsoft is... giving users exactly what they want? In the latest Windows Insider preview for Windows 11, Microsoft is rolling out an updated Windows Update experience that gives users more control over their update process. This includes the option to skip updates entirely during the out-of-box experience (OOBE) menu, allowing you to set up a PC without applying updates first. Previously, new PC configurations and installations might have been several months behind on Windows 11 updates, and Microsoft would force users to apply these updates immediately. This led to prolonged OS setup times and user frustration. Now, for those who need to move to a new desktop quickly and apply updates at a later date, Microsoft is finally offering an option during OOBE to install the OS first and apply updates later.

Additionally, Microsoft is now allowing users to pause Windows 11 updates in the settings with a dedicated calendar that extends up to 35 days. This ensures you have ample time to schedule an update session without disrupting your workflow. However, the 35-day mark is not a hard stop, as users can re-pause updates for another 35 days even after the original period has expired, essentially allowing updates to be paused indefinitely. There are no limits on how many times you can reset this pause date, giving you full control over the entire update process. This could be especially useful when a new update series arrives, and you want to wait and see if there are any OS issues or known problems before applying the update. For example, in the latest Windows 11 April update, some PCs might experience a BitLocker trigger, but this will be resolved in a future fix. Users can wait a few days for a fix to arrive and then install updates all at once without being forced to do so immediately.

Apple is reportedly set to become the third-largest laptop vendor by the end of 2026, according to market research firm Sigmaintell. Their projections indicate that Apple-made laptops will surpass the industry staple Dell, securing the third spot. This is a remarkable achievement for Apple, which will capture significant unit sales with its newly released, affordable MacBook Neo. According to the market research, the largest vendor by unit sales in 2026 is expected to be Lenovo with 43 million units, followed by HP with 39 million units. Apple is anticipated to sell 28 million MacBooks that year, an impressive number considering the firm sold about 23 million MacBooks in 2025.

The latest MacBook Neo is projected to sell around 10 million units, while the remaining 18 million units are expected to come from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 14/16 variants. With its current product portfolio, Apple covers a wide range of market segments, from the entry-level $599 MacBook Neo (or $499 with a student discount) to mid-range offerings like the thin and light MacBook Air, and high-end options for professionals with the MacBook Pro lineup. By catering to every segment from entry-level to high-end, Apple enhances its market visibility and provides users with options to fit their budgets.

Valve's upcoming Steam Controller is one of the most anticipated hardware releases the company plans to unveil soon. In a leaked video review that has since been taken down, we learned that Valve has reportedly priced this product at $99. This price point may leave enthusiasts weighing the potential higher cost against its features. While it is on the pricier side for a wireless controller, Valve positions the Steam Controller as having an ergonomic, programmable, and immersive design. What makes it special are its features, including four programmable buttons, dual touchpads, a hall effect sensor, HD rumble for haptic feedback, decent battery life, and connectivity options that include Bluetooth and a separate 2.4 GHz dongle. All of this may justify the asking price, but given the recent influx of high-quality third-party controllers, we should wait for official reviews before drawing any conclusions.

Just a few days ago, Valve quietly uploaded a Steam Controller unboxing video on its Steam platform. However, the video has not been made available for viewing, as attempting to play it results in a "This video has not been processed for streaming" message. This indicates that the launch of the controller is imminent, but since a review was released early, we are likely just a week or two away from the official unveiling. Below is a screenshot from the leaked video review, which has now been taken down.

AMD has officially launched its Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO) version 1.2, which expands support for more memory profiles, CUDIMM, and additional features. With this release, AMD aims to introduce more advanced memory tuning profiles to the "Zen 5" platform and its DDR5 memory types, while full support for EXPO 1.2 features is anticipated with the "Zen 6" processor generation. This means that full CUDIMM support for "Zen 5" tuning is still limited, and only "Zen 6" will offer complete CUDIMM support. EXPO 1.2 works with AMD's AGESA, but since AGESA 1.3.0.1 lacks full CUDIMM DDR5 support, this feature is postponed until the next-generation "Zen 6." Current-generation "Zen 5" CPUs on the AM5 socket may be able to use EXPO 1.2, but they won't fully support the new DDR5 memory with an onboard clock driver, instead relying on traditional memory to perform the task. Notably, popular AMD developer 1usmus mentioned that AMD EXPO 1.2 brings the following changes.

• Support for module geometry.
• Added support for MRDIMM (CUDIMM and CSODIMM are already supported). AGESA 1.3.0.1 still lacks full CUDIMM support; AMD is preparing this for Zen 6.
• New! tREFI, tRRDS, tWR, ULL Enable—Unified Latency Lock and VDDP(V).

Intel's upcoming "Nova Lake" Core Ultra 400 series processors will introduce not only a new CPU platform and socket but also a new motherboard chipset segmentation, unlike anything we have seen from Team Blue. According to a well-known leaker, Jaykihn, the new Z970 chipset platform is set to take over much of the space currently reserved for B860 motherboards. Meanwhile, B960 is expected to be positioned lower in the lineup as a value-focused option, often used by Intel's OEM partners for all-in-one builds or mini-PCs. This makes the Z970 the primary choice for a large share of "Nova Lake" builders, not just enthusiasts. Intel's higher-end Z990 boards are still expected to target the most demanding systems, while Z970 seems to bridge the gap between premium and mainstream desktop segments, incorporating many features that the Zx70 chipsets typically reserved from the Bx60 chipset ranges over the past few years.

The most likely scenario is that the Z970 will offer overclocking and wider I/O selection, while the Z990 will focus on more diverse expansion capabilities. The third entry-level B960 boards are expected to be starter NVL platform designs without overclocking support, intended to get the platform up and running with minimal I/O and SSD expansion. One of the biggest attractions of the Z970 would be CPU overclocking support, a key advantage over the B960, which is anticipated to be the more affordable option but without the same tuning flexibility. While the two chipsets may share similar baseline I/O features, motherboard manufacturers are likely to differentiate them through board design, port count, storage support, and overall feature set.

Intel posted strong Q1 2026 earnings results, indicating improvements across multiple verticals, from Intel Products to Intel Foundry divisions. Both groups experienced operational enhancements, but Intel Foundry achieved a significant milestone: yield improvement across all major foundry nodes currently in high-volume manufacturing. This includes Intel 4, Intel 3, and 18A nodes, which power the majority of Intel's product portfolio. In the latest Q1 2026 earnings call, Intel CFO David Zinsner noted that the company continues to improve yields on its older nodes, such as Intel 4 and Intel 3, while refining the yield of the current top-performing 18A node to reduce waste and increase the number of functional chips, even in larger dies.

David Zinsner, Intel CFOIntel Foundry operating loss in Q1 was $2.4 billion, improved $72 million quarter-over-quarter as better yields across Intel 4, Intel 3, and 18A drove higher gross margins. This was mostly offset by increased operating expenses associated with an intentional step-up in Intel 14A investments to support both internal and external customer evaluations. As a reminder, Intel Foundry carries the bulk of the cost associated with the early ramp of Intel 18A, and we expect Intel Foundry's operating loss to improve through the year as 18A continues to ramp into volume and yields improve further. Within the quarter, Intel Foundry delivered output above our expectations, drove steady improvements in yields, and met key 14A milestones.

One of the first Intel "Wildcat Lake" laptops has been revealed, showcasing a design language that closely resembles Apple's highly popular $599 MacBook Neo model. Intel's own reference design model features a standard 6-core "Wildcat Lake" configuration with two Xe3 cores and a 17 TOPS NPU, all housed in an aluminium chassis with a bright color theme, similar to Apple's MacBook Neo. The Intel reference design "Wildcat Lake" laptop operates with a 17 W PL1 mode, which measures the base TDP, and a 35 W PL2 for running the new WCL chip at maximum turbo frequency. There is also a high-performance mode for maximizing core performance with a 22 W PL1 base TDP, as well as a mode for fanless operation. In the PL1 power mode at 11 W, WCL chips can function in fanless environments, making them very versatile.

When Intel launched the "Wildcat Lake" Core 300 series of processors, the company aimed to satisfy value-oriented buyers seeking good CPU performance and basic GPU output in small form-factor commercial and edge AI PCs. The platform's hybrid core configuration, combining two "Cougar Cove" P-cores with four LPE "Darkmont" cores, should provide sufficient CPU power for basic tasks in the entry-level segment. Especially when paired with the NPU 5, Xe display and media engine, and a GPU that includes up to two Xe3 cores, this SoC should handle tasks with ease, along with some very light entry-level gaming.

AMD's stock has been experiencing a significant rise over the past few months, with the company's share price reaching a record $303.46 at the time of writing and a market capitalization of nearly half a trillion USD, precisely $494.74 billion. Historically, AMD's stock has struggled to match the levels of NVIDIA and, to some extent, Intel. However, the company has seen a massive turnaround with the expansion of AI data centers. AMD has been performing well in the data center space with its EPYC processors and Instinct MI accelerators, and the stock price has followed this upward trajectory. This is AMD's best stock performance yet, supported by a strong current and upcoming product portfolio that has major investors confident in the company's operations, financials, and execution of plans.

AMD is on track to ship its EPYC "Venice" server CPUs with "Zen 6" architecture, the Instinct MI400 series of accelerators for AI training, inference, and HPC workloads, and Pensando "Vulcano" AI NICs, all housed within a rack-scale system called "Helios." Expected to match and exceed NVIDIA's "Vera Rubin" in some areas, AMD will be competitive in the world's largest industry today—AI data centers. However, the company is not resting on its laurels and has already prepared a 2027 update of this product portfolio for the next-generation AI rack. This execution has instilled confidence in AMD's investors, driving the stock price significantly higher.

Yesterday, TSMC unveiled its latest A13 node preview at the North America Technology Symposium, highlighting the company's ongoing developments. However, the most significant news isn't about a new node but the technology behind it. TSMC announced it would rely on older ASML Low-NA EUV tools instead of the more expensive High-NA EUV scanners. With the High-NA EUV scanner priced at about €350 million ($410 million), the capital expenditure required to equip a modern facility is substantial. TSMC claims it can maintain a competitive advantage using the existing Low-NA EUV technology, which costs roughly half as much per machine. Kevin Zhang, TSMC's deputy Co-COO and SVP, noted to Reuters, "This is where I think our R&D has done exceptionally well in terms of leveraging existing EUV technology while setting an aggressive technology scaling roadmap. This is definitely a strength."

TSMC's use of Low-NA EUV lithography involves a technique called multi-patterning, where the EUV machine takes multiple passes to etch a design on a single layer. By performing two Low-NA etching runs, TSMC can achieve benefits similar to High-NA exposure, effectively reducing the need for new tools. However, there are limitations to the Low-NA multi-patterning technique, which will be addressed later by introducing High-NA systems, but only for nodes at 1 nm and below. For now, and for recent nodes, TSMC sees a way to maximize performance from the existing Low-NA systems at a much lower capital expenditure than would be required for High-NA systems.

Apple is making its latest macOS 26 release the last official operating system that will run on Intel-powered Macs. This means that starting with next year's macOS 27 release, new operating system updates will be available only on the M-Series of Apple Silicon. For macOS 26, codenamed "Tahoe," several Intel-based Macs will still support this latest release. These include the 2019 Mac Pro, 2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch, 2020 MacBook Pro 13-inch, and the 2020 release of the 27-inch iMac. These models will receive the latest macOS "Tahoe" operating system support this year, while next year's macOS 27 will officially end the rollout for Intel-based Macs. This marks the end of an era for Intel-based Macs and represents the Hackintosh community's final efforts to get this operating system on non-Apple PCs.

The transition to Apple Silicon officially began in late 2020 with the introduction of the M1 SoC—Apple's first custom silicon processor that features an in-house developed CPU, GPU, and much of the surrounding IP that make up an SoC. This initiated a series of M-Series designs over the years, with the current latest being the M5 generation, led by the M5 Pro and M5 Max. The Cupertino giant has been creating custom silicon for years with its A-Series of smartphone SoCs, but only recently started a special line for Macs. The company even offers the A18 Pro-based MacBook Neo, incorporating some smartphone silicon into a $599 Mac computer for basic PC work.

AMD, with its latest FSR "Redstone" graphics technology pack, is currently the only major GPU maker without multi-frame generation (MFG) in its suite of advanced graphics technologies. However, this might be changing soon as AMD is pushing new updates to its FSR SDK, as discovered by a Redditor. In the AMD Device Library eXtra (ADLX) SDK update, AMD is implementing a new function called IADLX3DFidelityFXFrameGenUpgradeRatioOption. While this lengthy name might not mean much at first glance, the ADLX SDK describes it as a feature that will allow users to choose the most optimal frame generation multiplier for performance and visual quality, essentially matching what multi-frame generation means in modern stacks like DLSS from NVIDIA and XeSS from Intel.

For instance, AMD currently supports frame generation with up to a 2x mode with its FSR 4 technology, but it lags behind the modern 6x mode that NVIDIA offers in its DLSS 4.5 pack and the 4x mode that Intel provides in XeSS 3.0, which can significantly boost FPS. AMD's current solution uses a custom ML-based algorithm to generate intermediate frames using optical flow estimation and motion vectors. FSR 4 uses per-pixel motion and appearance, combined with motion vectors, to generate a new frame between two frames, resulting in a high-quality frame. This leads to a significant FPS increase, but it is only a third of what NVIDIA can achieve and half of what Intel offers. Therefore, AMD is scaling this technology for a new FSR release, and we might see a 4x mode or even a 6x mode to match NVIDIA.

Intel's Robert Hallock, a vice president and general manager of the enthusiast section at the company, has announced plans to expand overclocking support to a much wider range of processors in the future. This is a significant move for Intel's product business, which has been producing CPUs unlocked for overclocking for years but typically reserved this capability for its K and KF SKUs. Robert Hallock argues that enabling this feature across a broader range of CPUs will allow enthusiasts at different price points to access one of the most appealing features of the K/KF SKUs. Just because a PC enthusiast buys at a different price point doesn't mean their enthusiasm is any less, and Intel aims to support that going forward. In an exclusive interview with PC Games Hardware, we learn more about this initiative and get a quote below.

Robert HallockWhat you will see is more and more unlocked SKUs over time. That is the goal. That should not be a feature that is exclusively reserved for the people paying the most amount of money. Not everyone can afford the most amount of money...and that doesn't make them any less an enthusiastic than the person who can spend 500 USD on a CPU. They are still PC enthusiasts, and they deserve the same level of features, and that is what we intend to deliver in our roadmap.

Valve has quietly uploaded a Steam Controller unboxing video to the Steam platform. However, the video is currently unavailable for viewing, as attempting to play it results in a "This video has not been processed for streaming" message. This occurred late last night when one of the Valve watchers noticed, via a SteamDB entry, that Valve had uploaded a video titled "steam_controller_unboxing_2026" on April 20. It makes it seem as one of the clearest indications that the launch of this new hardware from Steam is imminent, possibly just days away.

This follows another confirmation from the same industry insider, @SadlyItsBradley on X, who noted recent shipping documents indicating that Valve has received its first large volume imports of a new wireless controller. The company may be stocking up warehouses in preparation for the Steam Controller's launch. Since this happened early last week, Valve's stockpiling of the new Steam Controller may be complete, and the first unboxing materials are about to be released for streaming. Additionally, this might coincide with the launch and pricing update, as we currently have no information about the Steam Controller's price. For now, all we know is that the launch is imminent, and we expect to hear the news any day now.

Apple today announced that, effective immediately, Apple executive Johny Srouji will become chief hardware officer. Srouji, who most recently served as senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, will assume an expanded role leading Hardware Engineering, which John Ternus most recently oversaw, as well as the hardware technologies organization.

"Johny is one of the most talented people I have ever had the privilege to work with," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "He has played a singular role in driving Apple's silicon strategy, and his influence has been felt deeply not just inside the company, but across the industry. He has always led his organization with remarkable deftness and judgment, and time and again, his team has delivered breakthrough innovations that have transformed our products. We are incredibly fortunate to have him as Apple's chief hardware officer."

Apple has officially announced that long-time hardware chief John Ternus will become the company's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), taking over from the current CEO, Tim Cook. We have reported that Apple's succession planning is underway as the company considers who will lead one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world. As we reported late last year, John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, has been selected as the prime candidate for the new role. He has been with Apple since 2001 and has led the hardware division since 2013. Under his leadership, the hardware engineering efforts behind the iPhone, iPad, the entire Mac lineup, AirPods, Vision Pro, and countless prototypes have been developed. One of his most impressive feats is leading the transition of Apple MacBooks from Intel-based designs to custom, in-house developed Apple Silicon SoCs.

Interestingly, John Ternus will officially become CEO on September 1, 2026, when Tim Cook steps down to become Apple's executive chairman. Ternus and Cook will collaborate on the transition over the summer months to ensure that Apple's long-term goals remain a priority. "It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world," said Tim Cook.

Intel Foundry seems to be on a roll, as the company has reportedly increased its semiconductor tool orders by 50% compared to last year. This is a significant expansion, especially considering that Intel currently has no official new clients for its Foundry business. It's an exciting development, suggesting that Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, wouldn't invest in significantly expanding its foundry capacity without concrete deals in sight. Last week, UBS Group noted that new foundry commitments are expected this fall, and we can see the supply chain starting to ramp up to accommodate new customers. According to Anue media, many firms in semiconductor manufacturing are expected to be part of this ramp-up. The most well-known is ASML, but there are countless suppliers involved in both front-end and back-end foundry work. This includes companies like KINK Company, which provides inspection, laser processing, and other tools, as well as firms like E&R Engineering, which supplies diamond disks to flatten wafer surfaces.

In reality, semiconductor plants are much more complex than just acquiring EUV machines. Intel is already a major ASML customer for High-NA EUV scanners, which are boosting Intel's expansion for the 14A node. However, many additional tools for chemical treatment, inspection, metrology, and other processes are also needed for Intel to manufacture its 18A, 18A-P, and 18A-PT nodes, while also ramping up the 14A node.

NVIDIA has developed a new algorithm for path tracing that will make it 2-3 times faster, deliver better visual quality, and improve the robustness of real-time path tracing. Scheduled for a technology demo at the ACM conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in May, NVIDIA has found a way to make real-time path tracing a fully realistic rendering process, moving beyond the usual emulation, software denoising, upscaling, and other techniques we use today. Since real-time path tracing is extremely compute-intensive, modern GPUs are still not powerful enough to execute the full path tracing technology in all its potential. Instead, we currently rely on emulations in modern games, implemented across many titles to address this computational demand. Below is the abstract described on NVIDIA's paper page, though the paper itself is not yet available as its publication is scheduled for May. However, note that the technology is still in development, and we have to wait more for it to hit commercial games.

NVIDAAlgorithms leveraging ReSTIR-style spatiotemporal reuse have recently proliferated, hugely increasing effective sample count for light transport in real-time ray and path tracers. Many papers have explored novel theoretical improvements, but algorithmic improvements and engineering insights toward optimal implementation have largely been neglected. We demonstrate enhancements to ReSTIR PT that make it 2-3x faster, decrease both visual and numerical error, and improve its robustness, making it closer to production-ready. We halve the spatial reuse cost by reciprocal neighbor selection, robustify shift mappings with new footprint-based reconnection criteria, and reduce spatiotemporal correlation with duplication maps. We further improve both performance and quality by extensive optimization, unifying direct and global illumination into the same reservoirs, and utilizing existing techniques for color noise and disocclusion noise reduction.

AMD is planning a significant return to establishing new manufacturing ties with its former silicon manufacturing venture, which it sold back in 2008. According to recent reports, AMD intends to collaborate with GlobalFoundries for new Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) for the next-generation Instinct MI500 series of AI accelerators. CPO technology will help AMD remain competitive in the AI data center space, where signal transfer is limited by traditional copper-based wiring. By harnessing the power and speed of light, CPO technology will enable data transfer between multiple nodes, and even multiple facilities, without the speed loss and increased latency associated with copper-based connections. Consequently, AMD is investing considerable effort to secure Photonics Integrated Circuit (PIC) manufacturing with its former partner, GlobalFoundries, which will handle PIC manufacturing, while the actual packaging will be managed by ASE to finalize the CPO design. This approach allows AMD to leverage the strengths of both companies, likely resulting in the best solution for its systems next year.

The Instinct MI500 series of AI accelerators is scheduled for release in 2027, as this year's lineup focuses on the Instinct MI400 series, which includes multiple SKUs for AI and HPC workloads. While these designs are already among the industry's leading AI accelerators, AMD aims to enhance performance further with the 2027 release using CPO technology. This will significantly contribute to delivering a solution that uses less power and offers much higher overall bandwidth compared to traditional copper data transfers. However, AMD is not alone in this CPO push. NVIDIA is also collaborating with semiconductor makers to develop a CPO system for "Vera Rubin," particularly the "Rubin Ultra" variant.

It has been a while since one of Microsoft's Windows 11 updates wreaked havoc among PC enthusiasts, and the April update seems to be another in line for IT administrators. In an updated support document on the Windows 11 KB5083769 cumulative update, Microsoft officially confirms that some users are encountering an unexpected BitLocker recovery prompt after applying the update. However, the good news is that this issue requires a specific BitLocker Group Policy configuration that Microsoft refers to as "unrecommended," which is less likely to be found outside of managed IT departments. This includes systems managed through group policy settings, making it less likely to affect PC enthusiasts' builds. For the issue to occur, a few conditions must be met. First, BitLocker must be enabled on the PC. Second, the BitLocker Group Policy setting "Configure TPM platform validation profile for native UEFI firmware configurations" must be configured with PCR7 (a TPM 2.0 module register) included in the validation profile.

Once these conditions are met, running system information, or msinfo32.exe, shows that the Secure Boot State PC47 Binding is "Not Possible." Additionally, the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate must be present in the device's Secure Boot Signature Database (DB), making the device eligible for the Windows Boot Manager signed in 2023 to become the default. Finally, the device must not be running this 2023-signed Windows Boot Manager that it supports. Only by fulfilling this unusual set of conditions does the BitLocker Recovery environment trigger, leading to a password prompt. After this, subsequent startups will not trigger it again.